NHS Spending

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Leader of the House what the basis was for his statement on the Business of the House, 12 October 2006,  Official Report, column 450, that spending on the NHS has more than trebled since 1997.

Jack Straw: Table 1 shows the NHS Expenditure in years 1996-97 to 2007-08.(1)
	The growth from 1996-97 to 2007-08 is £32.997 billion to £92.173 billion a 2.8 fold increase.
	(1 )Information supplied by the Department of Health
	
		
			  Table 1: NHS total expenditure: England—1996-97 to 2007-08 
			Net NHS Expenditure( 5)  (£ billion)  Percentage increase  Percentage real terms increase( 6) 
			 Cash(1) 
			 1996-97 Outturn 32.997 3.2 -0.2 
			 1997-98 Outturn 34.664 5.1 2.1 
			 1998-99 Outturn 36.608 5.6 3.0 
			 1999-2000 Outturn 39.881 8.9 6.8 
			  
			 RB Stage1(2) 
			 1999-2000 Outturn 40.201  —  — 
			 2000-01 Outturn 43.932 9.3 7.8 
			 2001-02 Outturn 49.021 11.6 9.0 
			 2002-03 Outturn 54.042 10.2 6.9 
			  
			 RB Stage 2(3,4,6) 
			 2003-04 Outturn 64.183  —  — 
			 2004-05(7) Outturn 69.306 8.0 5.1 
			 2005-06 Estimated Outturn 77.847 12.3 10.2 
			 2006-07 Plan 84.387 8.4 5.8 
			 2007-08 Plan 92.173 9.2 6.4 
			 (1) Expenditure pre 1999-00 is on a cash basis.  (2) Expenditure figures from 1999-00 to 2002-03 are on a Stage 1 Resource Budgeting basis.  (3) Expenditure figures from 2003-04 to 2007-08 are on a Stage 2 Resource Budgeting basis.  (4) The Resource Budgeting Stage 2 expenditure figures shown for 2004-05 to 2007-08 are consistent with table 3.4 of the 2006 Departmental Report.  (5) Figures are not consistent over the period (1996-97 to 2007-08), therefore it is difficult to make comparisons across different periods.  (6) Figures from 2003-04 include a technical adjustment for trust depreciation.  (7) Includes a technical adjustment in 2004-05 for provisions of £1,497 million.   Note:  GDP deflator as at 27 September 2006. 
		
	
	However, as noted in superscript 5 to the table, it is difficult to make comparisons across different periods due to:
	Changes to accounting practice;
	Changes in functional responsibility leading to transfers of money between the NHS and other Government Departments
	Such changes occur on a regular basis so calculations based on absolutes can quickly become out of date. Also, comparison based on absolutes does not take into account inflation.
	Therefore, generally, in NHS publications, real growth in expenditure is quoted rather than changes to absolute expenditure. This is calculated by comparing consecutive year expenditure adjusted into the same currency (to adjust for accounting changes and transfers of function) and deflated by GDP.
	Across the whole Labour administration, from 1997-98 to 2007-08, the cumulative real terms increase in expenditure will be 95.7 per cent.

Afghanistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment was made of the methods used to reduce illicit opium poppy cultivation in other countries during the formulation of counter-narcotics policy in Afghanistan.

Margaret Beckett: I have been asked to reply.
	As partner nation for counter narcotics, the UK has supported the Afghan Government in developing and updating their National Drug Control strategy, launched at the London Conference on Afghanistan in January 2006. In developing their strategy, the Afghan Government considered the counter narcotics efforts of regional partners, including Pakistan, as well as countries in the Golden Triangle. With respect to the Golden Triangle, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave him today (UIN 96353). The Afghan Government has also drawn from the experience of Pakistan which achieved drug free status through a balanced strategy focused on development and law enforcement, including eradication where legal livelihoods exist.
	There have also been exchanges between the Governments of Afghanistan and Colombia in relation to Colombia's counter narcotics experience, particularly in relation to coca production. This includes a recent visit from Colombian law enforcement officers to assist the Afghan Government develop their counter narcotics law enforcement capacity.
	The Afghan Government has also considered experiences of licit opium cultivation in India and Turkey. In doing so they have concluded that Afghanistan does not currently possess the necessary central government and law enforcement mechanisms to guard against the diversion of opium into illicit channels. They have therefore ruled out licit cultivation as a means of tackling the illicit trade.

African Union

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department will offer to the African Union for capacity building in Africa in the next 12 months.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development envisages capacity building support to the African Union (AU) in two main areas over the next 12 months: assistance to the African Union Commission (AUC) to build its own institutional capacity; and support for specific programmes with which the African Union is involved.
	On the former, we are working closely with other donors and our support is likely to focus on helping to build the AUC's capacity for effective financial management, procurement and management of human resources. DFID is already providing support on procurement, which has been recognised by the AUC and the European Commission (EC) as a pre-requisite for the disbursal of funds from the EC's own Support Programme to the AUC. DFID is also considering support to help build the capacity of other African Union institutions, including the Pan-African Parliament.
	On the latter, we are considering contributing to two major AU programmes to build African capacity in land policy, and in climate change adaptation. The Land Policy Initiative will be jointly managed by the AU, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA). This Initiative aims to build consensus for land reform among AU member states and Regional Economic Communities and to establish a framework for common actions, partnerships and peer learning. The Climate Information for Development Needs in Africa programme (ClimDev Africa) will be led by the AU and jointly implemented by AfDB and ECA. It aims to strengthen the capacity of AU member states to obtain and use information on climate variability and change for development eg by identifying services to help reduce rural poverty in semi-arid zones.
	DFID continues to provide support to the African Union on peace and security issues, working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence through the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool. As part of this, the UK Government have just signed an agreement with the AU to provide £300,000 to support the development of the Continental Early Warning System and the Panel of the Wise, to help prevent and mediate conflicts in Africa.

Hippopotami (Virunga National Park)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with  (a) the African Union and  (b) the Congolese Government to secure the protection of hippopotami in the Virunga National Park; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	We have regular discussions with the African Union (AU) Commission on a range of environmental issues. Like many AU member states, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a signatory to international agreements on the protection of wildlife, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which lists the hippopotamus as a species requiring protection under Appendix II.
	We have urged the DRC Government to do more to control the activities of militia groups who are reportedly killing these hippopotami. My hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jim Knight, lobbied the Congolese Minister of the Environment on the need to protect vulnerable species when he visited Virunga National Park in September 2005. We will continue to raise with the DRC Government their duty to protect their wildlife.

Sudan

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which relief projects in Darfur his Department is involved.

Hilary Benn: DFID are funding a range of humanitarian projects in Darfur, totalling £34 million in 2006. Our programme has three elements:
	1. A £10 million humanitarian operation supporting twelve non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Medecins Sans Frontieres, Oxfam, International Rescue Committee and Action Contre La Faim. These projects address a variety of humanitarian needs with a focus on water and sanitation, health and nutrition.
	2. £5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross' national appeal, the majority of which is being spent in Darfur. This funding goes to support programmes on nutrition, health and protection.
	3. £49 million to the Common Humanitarian Fund, a pioneering multi-donor mechanism giving the UN Humanitarian Coordinator the ability to allocate funding to the top humanitarian priorities across the country and respond to unforeseen needs. Of the DFID funding, at least £19 million has been allocated to Darfur to fund UN agencies and NGOs.

Child Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the review of his Department's child poverty strategy will conclude; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 24 October 2006
	The Government's strategy for tackling child poverty is set out in 'Opportunity for all' and the Child Poverty Review, published alongside the 2004 Spending Review White Paper. We plan to complete and publish our review of this strategy later this year.
	In 1997 there were 4.2 million children living in poverty and almost 5.5 million people on benefits, three million more than in 1979. Compared with 1979, the number of people claiming unemployment benefits had risen by 50 per cent., while the number claiming incapacity benefits had more than tripled.
	Today we are achieving growth with fairness. Since 1997 incomes have grown strongly for all groups but the poorer two-fifths have seen greater proportional increases in incomes than the better off. As a result of this progress there were 800,000 fewer children living in low income households in 2004-05, after housing costs, than in 1997 and we have lifted two million children out of absolute poverty.

Health and Safety Executive

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to make its guidance books available in electronic format.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 11 September 2006
	Over the past 18 months, HSE has made more than 1,000 previously priced publications, mainly reports, freely available in electronic format, through the HSE website.

Housing Benefit

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the recent decision by the Social Security Commissioner to reduce the level of housing benefit available to tenants of homes where care and support is provided to people with learning and physical disabilities;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities following the recent decision by the Social Security Commissioner to reduce the level of housing benefit available to tenants of homes where care and support is provided to people with learning and physical disabilities; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that tenants in homes where care and support is provided to people with learning and physical disabilities do not lose their placements following the recent decision by the Social Security Commissioner to reduce the level of housing benefit available to tenants; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Social Security Commissioner decided that the rent restriction scheme introduced in 1996 should be used in certain cases as the accommodation did not fall into the type of specialist supported accommodation prescribed in legislation for which the pre-1996 rent restriction scheme has been preserved. This decision has lead to some authorities reviewing their decisions on similar awards resulting in a reduction in benefit in some cases.
	The Commissioner also confirmed the interpretation of the appropriate legislation was accurately reflected in current DWP guidance.
	The Commissioner's decision has not affected the responsibilities of social services, where they have them, to provide care and support for certain individuals. Where this duty existed previously, it will continue to exist, and social services will have to ensure that the care and support is provided. The only cases that the Commissioner's decision will affect are those where the old scheme housing benefit rules are currently being incorrectly used.

Jobcentre Plus

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what advice and training on dealing with customers with autistic spectrum disorders is available for employees of Jobcentre Plus;
	(2)  what provision has been made to assist people with autistic spectrum disorder under the Jobcentre Plus Customer Management System.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 31 October 2006:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what advice and training on dealing with customers with autistic spectrum disorders is available for employees of Jobcentre Plus and what provision has been made to assist people with autistic spectrum disorder under the Jobcentre Plus Customer Management System. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus has two training products for equipping its staff with the skills and knowledge to deal effectively with disabled customers, including autistic spectrum disorders. These are:
	Working with Customers with a Health Condition and Disability [developed in consultation with external partners, including Mencap and Mind]; and
	Skills to Help Customers with a Health Condition and or Disability.
	To support their training advisers have a number of templates they can refer to when dealing with customers, the Autistic Spectrum Disorders template provides details about autistic spectrum disorders; the effects they have on individuals, the implications for work and the possible types of support an individual might need in employment. This information was approved by the National Autistic Society.
	In addition, all Jobcentre Plus staff have access to information about autistic spectrum disorders through guidance on our Intranet.
	The Customer Management System (CMS) is part of the Jobcentre Plus modernisation programme. Jobcentre Plus prefers customers to claim benefits by telephone but CMS also supports face-to-face and postal contact.
	First Contact Officers work in our contact centres, they receive training to help them identify customers who are unable to use the phone and offer them alternative methods of contact. Customers can be represented by a third party (including an appointee) who would provide information on the customer's behalf either by phone, or whilst accompanying the customer to the office for a face-to-face meeting.
	Alternatively, a claim form can be issued. Our Standard Operating Model, including the facility to use clerical claim forms, should be used by all staff.
	I hope this is helpful.

Office Equipment (Energy Consumption)

Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate he has made of the hourly energy consumption of an  (a) (i) desktop and (ii) laptop computer and  (b) printer/fax machine of the types issued to hon. Members by Parliamentary Information Communication and Technology (A) when on standby mode and (B) when in full use.

Nick Harvey: The hourly energy consumption of desktop and laptop computers and printer/fax machines on standby mode and in full use are as follows:
	
		
			  kWh 
			   (A) Standby mode  (B) In full use 
			  (a)(i) Desktop computer 0.003 0.156 
			 (ii) Laptop computer 0.001 0.030 
			  (b) Printer/fax machine 0.030 0.400 
		
	
	The in full use consumption figures (B) given above are the maximum figures and typical figures will normally be significantly less than these.

Companies Bill

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he received from the  (a) Confederation of British Industry,  (b) Association of British Insurers,  (c) Federation of Small Business and  (d) Institute of Directors on the Report stage amendment 822 to the Companies Bill.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 30 October 2006
	The Department received representations from the Confederation of British Industry, Association of British Insurers and Institute of Directors in response to the Government's consultation on the directors' annual Business Review at the beginning of this year. The CBI and IOD did not support the introduction into the review of any additional reporting requirements from the former statutory Operating and Financial Review (schedule 7ZA of the Companies Act 1985), but made no particular comments about contractual and other relationships. The ABI thought that companies should in any case be reporting the matters included in the previous legislation to the extent relevant for an understanding of the company and its capacity to succeed in the creation of shareholder value. The more pressing concern that these organisations raised was in relation to liability in respect of reporting and I subsequently introduced amendments to the Companies Bill to clarify the liability regime. We also received a recent representation from the IOD expressing concern about the timing, intent and effect of the Government's amendment to the Business Review. As I made clear at Report, it remains for the directors' judgment to decide what is material to report. Furthermore, the Bill includes a confidentiality exception in relation information about impending developments or matters in the course of negotiation. I am meeting representatives from the IOD, CBI and other industry organisations this week to discuss their concerns about amendments 821 and 822.

Cheesemaking

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of EU regulations on traditional cheesemaking in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The new European Union food hygiene legislation, which came into force on 1 January 2006, is structured so that it can be applied flexibly and proportionately according to the size and nature of the food business. Traditional cheesemakers are benefiting from that. The Food Standards Agency ran a food safety management initiative for specialist cheesemakers between 2002 and 2004. The initiative, which was designed to help cheesemakers to complywith the hygiene legislation, has been evaluated and is widely regarded as a success.

Dairy Products

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment of the level of antibiotics in milk and dairy products his Department has made in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Council Directive 96/23/EC requires member states to monitor for the presence of certain substances and residues in food producing animals and animal products. This included antibiotics in milk with effect from January 1998. Commission Decision 97/747/EC stipulated that raw bovine milk should be tested, and sets out other criteria, such as:
	the number of milk samples to be collected, based on forecast production;
	the proportion of those samples that must be tested for authorised antimicrobial substances, such as antibiotics; and
	the proportion tested for substances, including antibiotics that, because of safety concerns, are not allowed to be used in the EU in food-producing animals.
	The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is the competent authority for the surveillance programme in the UK. Member states are required to send their annual plans for surveillance, containing the above information, to the Commission. Details of the validated analytical methods used in the UK, which in the case of milk screens for a wide range of antibiotics, are also included. The results are also sent to the Commission.
	The results of the testing of UK cows' milk are given in table 1. This shows since 1997, in a total of some 18,000 analyses for antibiotics, only 5 samples were found to contain residues of antibiotics above the relevant statutory limit. All of these were of authorised veterinary medicines.
	The VMD carries out additional testing of dairy products, such as cheese and cream, under its non-statutory surveillance scheme. The results are given in table 2. From a total of some 700 analyses since 1997, only one sample of imported cheese contained a detectable residue.
	The results of this surveillance have been published on the VMD's Annual Reports on Surveillance from 1998-2000, which can be found at http://www.vmd.gov.uk/publications/annreps/annreps.htm and from 2001 onwards in the annual reports of the independent Veterinary Residues Committee which can be found at http:/www.vet-residues-committee.gov.uk/.
	
		
			  Table 1: Results of surveillance for antibiotic residues in UK cows' milk 
			  Year  Analyses for antibiotic residues  Samples with detectable residues  Samples at or above the reference point( 1) 
			 1998 1,824 2 2 
			 1999 2,015 0 0 
			 2000 2,013 2 2 
			 2001 2,107 0 0 
			 2002 2,008 0 0 
			 2003 2,076 0 0 
			 2004 2,069 0 0 
			 2005 2,072 0 0 
			 2006(2) 1,819 1 1 
			 Total 18,003 5 5 
			 (1) For authorised substances, the reference point is the 'maximum residue limit'. The EU set this limit, which is the maximum concentration of a residue of a particular veterinary medicine that is legally allowed to be present in or on a food. For unauthorised or banned substances, any residue detected by the UK authorities is reported as 'positive'.(2) To date 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Results of surveillance for antibiotic residues in other dairy products (UK unless specified) 
			  Product(s)  Analyses for antibiotic residues  Samples with detectable residues  Samples at or above the reference point( 1) 
			  1998
			 Cheddar Cheese 51 0 0 
			 Cream 51 0 0 
			 Goat Cheese 40 0 0 
			 Sheep Cheese 40 0 0 
			 
			  1999
			 None 0 0 0 
			 
			  2000
			 Goats' Milk 92 0 0 
			 Organic Cheese(imported) 20 0 0 
			 Organic Cheese 20 0 0 
			 Organic Cream 24 0 0 
			 
			  2001
			 Goats' Milk 100 0 0 
			  2002
			 None 0 0 0 
			 
			  2003
			 Dried Milk Powder 103 0 0 
			 
			  2004
			 None 0 0 0 
			 
			  2005
			 Imported Cheese 100 1 1 
			 
			  2006
			 Imported Cheese 66 0 0 
			 
			 Total 707 1 1 
			 (1) For authorised substances, the reference point is the 'maximum residue limit'. The EU set this limit, which is the maximum concentration of a residue of a particular veterinary medicine that is legally allowed to be present in or on a food. For unauthorised or banned substances, any residue detected by the UK authorities is reported as 'positive'.

Energy Efficiency

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated level of energy efficiency achieved by each local authority in buildings and services within its own area was in the last period for which figures are available; and what the comparable figures were for each local authority  (a) five and  (b) 10 years ago.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 26 October 2006
	The Department does not carry out central monitoring of either the energy consumed or the savings achieved in individual local authorities buildings or in the provision of their services. Local authorities are responsible for their own energy consumption and achieving efficiency savings will be a matter for local authority energy managers. Therefore the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The 1995 Home Energy Conservation Act requires local authorities with housing responsibility to prepare a strategy for improving energy efficiency within residential accommodation in their areas and report annually on progress. Since 1996 Authorities have reported an average total improvement of approximately 16.7 per cent. to 31 March 2005.
	Results for all local authorities can be found at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy/heca95/pdf/heca-data2005.pdf

Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will reform the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme to widen its scope to include thermal mass and night time ventilation.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 25 October 2006
	The Carbon Trust administers the Enhanced Capital Allowance (EGA) scheme for energy-saving plant and machinery and considers the technical merits of further technology classes for inclusion in the scheme. I understand that the trust has carefully considered an application for the inclusion of thermal mass and night time ventilation technologies. On the details provided to the Carbon Trust it appears that rather than comprising plant and machinery covered by the scheme, the primary components of these technologies are flooring and roofing. However, some equipment which is occasionally used with thermal mass or night time ventilation installation is included in the EGA scheme and can already qualify for the accelerated allowances.

Flood Protection

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) the Government,  (b) North Yorkshire county council and  (c) City of York council spent on flood alleviation and protection in the Ouse catchment in each year since 1992.

Ian Pearson: Defra funds most of the Environment Agency's flood related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities and, in low-lying areas, internal drainage boards. The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities; Defra does not build defences, nor direct the authorities on what specific projects to undertake.
	The following table shows expenditure on flood protection and alleviation measures in the Ouse catchment area. This is defined as that part of the Ouse catchment between the confluence with the River Ure and the confluence with the River Derwent. The figures for local authority spend have been taken from returns by the authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and represents their own spend plus their levies to internal drainage boards. This local authority spend is largely supported by revenue support grant from DCLG.
	Grant payments by Defra for local authority and internal drainage board capital improvement projects are not recorded by catchment. We have not been able to identify any such funding for the area and years in question.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Environment Agency  City of York  North Yorkshire county council 
			   Revenue  Capital  Total   
			 1992-93 280 570 850 109 0 
			 1993-94 220 480 700 97 0 
			 1994-95 220 180 400 122 0 
			 1995-96 210 90 300 96 0 
			 1996-97 200 60 260 373 0 
			 1997-98 300 90 390 356 0 
			 1998-99 400 90 490 660 0 
			 1999-2000 490 100 590 411 0 
			 2000-01 580 400 980 464 0 
			 2001-02 675 920 1,595 559 0 
			 2002-03 775 920 1,695 561 0 
			 2003-04 850 2,120 2,970 582 0 
			 2004-05 950 3,020 3,970 618 0 
			 2005-06 1,050 5,600 6,650 928 0

Light Bulbs

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the merits of instituting a ban on the sale of incandescent light bulbs.

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to using all suitable policy instruments to remove the least efficient products from UK markets. Our current assessment is that, by removing ordinary incandescent light bulbs (GLS bulbs) from the UK market and encouraging sales of the most efficient alternatives, we could avoid approximately one million tonnes of carbon emissions per year by 2020.
	The UK cannot unilaterally ban or prevent the free trade in products such as incandescent light bulbs on the basis of their energy efficiency. However, the Government are pressing the European Commission to make light-bulbs a priority for regulatory action under the recently agreed Eco-Design for Energy Using Products (EUP) framework directive. We are also discussing with retailers and manufacturers how we can remove inefficient lighting products from UK shelves in advance of regulations.

Nirex

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which stakeholders have been consulted about his decision to merge Nirex into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority;
	(2)  if he will initiate a public consultation on his proposals to merge Nirex into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 October 2006
	Other UK government departments, the devolved administrations and the independent environment and nuclear safety regulators were consulted by my Department when formulating the response to the report of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.
	Presentations have also been received from other bodies. United Kingdom Nirex Limited, who have made a number of representations to Ministers and officials, now have the opportunity to comment on the proposed ownership transfer and how it could best be brought about.

Nuclear Decomissioning Authority

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of the Health and Safety Executive is in regulating the Nuclear Decomissioning Authority.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 October 2006
	The Health and Safety Executive regulates the Nuclear Decomissioning Authority (NDA) under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated relevant statutory provisions. In addition, it regulates the nuclear sites owned by the NDA under the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Nuclear Installations Act. The Health and Safety Executive and the NDA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), accessible on the NDA website at www.nda.gov.uk/documents/mou_nda_and_hse.pdf
	The MOU commits the NDA to:
	Develop and maintain a constructive working relationship with the Health and Safety Executive and respond positively to criticism and challenge;
	Engage as appropriate in joint working with the Health and Safety Executive, other nuclear regulators, site licensees/operators and other stakeholders to resolve issues of substance;
	Do nothing which inhibits the Health and Safety Executive or the other nuclear regulators in the exercise of their statutory powers, functions and duties (including taking enforcement action);
	Take appropriate action as and when it is made aware of any concerns the Health and Safety Executive might have about the operation of any designated site, installation or facility.
	The Secretary of State recently announced that Nirex's technical work will now be undertaken by NDA. By agreement, and through working in co-operation with HSE, the Environment Agency has exercised regulatory scrutiny over Nirex's arrangements for 'Letters of Compliance' in relation to proposals from nuclear site licensees for radioactive waste treatment, and scrutiny of Nirex's generic performance assessment for a phased geological repository concept which underpins the LoC system. The Health and Safety Executive will continue to scrutinise nuclear site licensees' proposals for conditioning radioactive wastes, together with the underpinning technical work that will now be undertaken by NDA.
	In respect of health and safety provisions within NDA offices, this is shared between the HSE and the relevant local authority, depending on the office location.

Office of Climate Change

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the membership is of the  (a) Ministerial and  (b) official board of the Office of Climate Change; and which department each member represents.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 October 2006
	The Office of Climate Change will be governed by a ministerial board chaired by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and including the Foreign Secretary, Secretaries of State from the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Trade and Industry, the Department for International Development and the Department for Transport, the Financial Secretary, and relevant Ministers of State.
	The Offices Officials Board will comprise a similar representation of Departments.

Rural Watercourses

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduction in spending by the Environment Agency on the maintenance of rural watercourses over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Defra and the Environment Agency are working closely to mitigate any impacts from the recently announced reductions to the Agency's budget. These will be in the order of £14.9 million from the flood risk management budget, and are focused on resource and not capital spend. Following these changes the Agency's flood risk management budget for 2006-07 is still 35 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1996-07.

Sewage System (London)

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings his Department has had with the Mayor of London in relation to London's sewage system; when those meetings took place; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of those meetings.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 9 October 2006
	My hon. Friend the then Minister for Climate Change (Mr Elliot Morley) met with Ken Livingstone and discussed London's sewage system on 9 February 2005. I met with him on 8 June 2006.
	I will arrange for a copy of a summary of the notes of the meetings on 9 February 2005 and 8 June 2006 to be placed in the Library of the House. Most of this information is already in the public domain through Defra press releases on 2 December 2005, 18 January 2006 and 27 July 2006, and the Thames Tideway Strategic Study report of November 2005. I am withholding some information, the release of which could prejudice the ability of the Department to develop policy effectively in this area.

Sustainable Energy

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking  (a) to encourage and  (b) to support home-owners who wish to move to sustainable energy sources from a reliance on fossil fuels.

Ian Pearson: Many of the Government initiatives which support low carbon microgeneration by householders are set out in the Microgeneration Strategy (March 2006) "Our Energy Challenge". This includes details of the grants available for projects under the £80 million, three year, Low Carbon Buildings Programme, for which householders are eligible.
	Defra is providing the Energy Saving Trust (EST) with around £28 million of funding in 2006-07. It promotes energy saving products including microgeneration products.
	Under the Energy Efficiency Commitment, electricity and gas suppliers have to meet targets for improving household energy efficiency. The current phase provides incentives for innovative action. In future, we are looking to include other renewable microgeneration technologies such as micro-wind. With the Department for Trade and Industry and Ofgem, we are considering how to make it easier for householders and other microgenerators to export their energy to the national grid.
	Under the Renewables Obligation, energy suppliers are required to source a rising percentage of their energy from renewable sources. Microgenerators, such as householders, are entitled to claim Renewable Obligation Certificates under this obligation. The Government are looking to make it easier for groups of householders to claim these valuable certificates. This has also provided incentives for the emergence of a number of "green tariffs" so that householders can choose to buy energy from renewable sources.

Casinos

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) of 20 October 2005,  Official Report, column 1135W, on casinos, what the  (a) name of the applicant,  (b) location and  (c) date was of each of the casino planning applications that the Deputy Prime Minister considered.

Meg Munn: The First Secretary of State considered two mixed use developments that included a casino element. Dunstall Park Centre Ltd. made an application for planning permission at the Dunstall Park Centre in Wolverhampton on 30 June 2003, a call-in letter was issued on 28 April 2004 and the decision was issued on 4 July 2005. Lear Management Ltd. made an application for planning permission at Waterloo Road, Hanley, Stoke on Trent on 26 October 2001, a call-in letter was issued on 28 May 2002 and the decision was issued on 8 March 2004. Copies of these decisions can be found in the Library of the House.

Home Condition Reports/Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will delay the implementation date for home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: No, the implementation of the home information packs, including valuable energy performance information is set for 1 June 2007.

House Sales

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many completed sales through  (a) Shared Ownership and  (b) Key Worker Schemes were funded by the Housing Corporation in each year since 1997-98;
	(2)  To how many completed sales through the Starter Home Initiative there have been in each year since its inception.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the homes funded through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme, Local Authority Social Housing Grant and Starter Home Initiative since 1997-98.
	
		
			   Shared Ownership  LASHG Shared Ownership  Key Worker Living  Starter Home Initiative 
			 1997-98 6,515 637 0 0 
			 1998-99 5,812 491 0 0 
			 1999-2000 3,147 533 0 0 
			 2000-01 2,551 567 0 0 
			 2001-02 2,211 695 0 90 
			 2002-03 2,315 672 0 2,650 
			 2003-04 3,574 577 0 7,029 
			 2004-05 5,093 508 3,812 290 
			 2005-06 7,127 382 6,539 0 
			  Source: Housing Corporation 
		
	
	The two Shared Ownership columns includes both new build and refurbishment and acquisition as well as Do-it-yourself Shared Ownership. The latter being purchases on the open market but on shared ownership terms. These figures exclude the specific Key Worker schemes; Key Worker Living and the Starter Home Initiative.
	Key Worker Living includes both shared ownership schemes and HomeBuy. It does not include units purchased by Key Workers in non-Key Worker specific schemes.
	The table does not include any units provided by resales, staircasing or by SI06 obligations not in receipt of grant.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2006,  Official Report, column 813W, on planning, if she will publish an updated list with the name of the  (a) applicant and  (b) agent of the applicant.

Yvette Cooper: Decision Letters, which provide details of the applicant (and agent where applicable), for planning cases that have been approved or refused by the Secretary of State, and her predecessor, from 1 April 2002 to 1 March 2006, can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l143333
	The details of cases from 1 March 2006 onwards are currently being uploaded onto that website.

Departmental Telephone Inquiries

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) missed and  (b) received calls there were to her Department's general inquiries telephone number in each week of the last 12 months; and how many members of staff are employed to answer that telephone line.

David Lammy: The information relating to call response rates is not currently held centrally.
	Since July this year, the Department's main switchboard has been permanently manned by one member of staff from 09.30 to 6.30, Monday to Friday, with a voicemail service provided so that enquiries arriving at busy periods can be dealt with as quickly as possible as call volumes subside.

Osborne Estate

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the convalescent wing of Osborne House in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The convalescent home at Osborne House closed in 2000. From the period 1996 to 2000, English Heritage estimates £40,000 was spent each year on its maintenance. Following the closure of the convalescent home, maintenance costs have been amalgamated for the whole house and are therefore not captured separately.

Phone-in Quizzes

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to classify television phone-in quizzes as lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: The Government have no intention of seeking to regulate genuine prize competitions under gambling law. However, the Government are also firmly committed to maintaining the longstanding convention that lotteries should only be held for good causes and not for private gain.
	The Gambling Act 2005, which will come into force in September 2007, will introduce a new definition of a lottery and a complex lottery.
	Subsection 14(3) of the new Act provides that: an arrangement is a complex lottery if:
	(a) persons are required to pay in order to participate in the arrangement,
	(b) in the course of the arrangement one or more prizes are allocated to one or more members of a class,
	(c) the prizes are allocated by a series of processes, and
	(d) the first of those processes relies wholly on chance.
	Ultimately only the courts will be able to decide whether or not certain television phone-in quizzes constitute lotteries under the new Act. However, the Gambling Commission is currently consulting on its view that some television quizzes would need to change the way that they are currently operated to ensure that they comply with the new rules.

Further Education Budget

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many adults participated in further education in each of the last 20 years.

Phil Hope: Data on enrolments in further education are not available on a comparable basis prior to 1994/95. The following table shows numbers of enrolments in further education in England by those aged 19 or over, for each year from 1994/95 to 2004/05:
	
		
			  Number of enrolments (thousands) 
			   FE institutions  Adult education enrolments  Total 
			 1994/95 1,539 1,034 2,574 
			 1995/96 2,095 1,099 3,194 
			 1996/97 2,770 1,174 3,944 
			 1997/98 2,775 1,015 3,789 
			 1998/99 2,669 1,056 3,725 
			 1999/2000 2,612 1,007 3,619 
			 2000/01 2,777 n/a n/a 
			 2001/02 3,221 n/a n/a 
			 2002/03 3,521 993 4,514 
			 2003/04 3,456 896 4,352 
			 2004/05 3,477 890 4,367 
			  Notes:1. For 2000/01-2001/02 there is no breakdown of Adult Education (AE) data by age band so a breakdown by age can not be shown. It is known that the totals for 2000/01 and 2001/02 were 1,041 thousand and 1,052 thousand respectively and that typically 95 to 97 per cent. of all adult education (AE) enrolments are aged 19 or over.2. All figures exclude school 6(th) forms. Sources:1. FE enrolments: 1994/95 to 1996/97—FEFC: Student Statistics ISR/SFR22; 1996/97-2004/05—LSC Statistical First Release ILR/SFR082. Adult Education Enrolments in England: 1994/95-2002/03—Adult Education Enrolments, DfES; 2003/04-2004/05—LSC Statistical First Release ILR/SFR08

Student Debt

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice and support is provided to  (a) students and  (b) students from poorer backgrounds on managing debt (i) while at university and (ii) after graduation.

Bill Rammell: Higher Education Institutions and student unions operate money advice services. Most institutions provide a range of student services for their students, and specifically for those students from poorer backgrounds who need particular help, including advice on managing their finances.
	Advice and support on money and debt management is also offered by a wide range of other organisations. For example, as part of the Financial Services Authority's financial capability initiative, Roehampton university have piloted their money doctors scheme helping students to become financially competent, to confront debt and take control of their own finances; and 18 other institutions will be developing the piloted approaches. UNIAID provide tools, including a new student calculator, to develop budgeting skills and increase understanding of finance. Graduates have access to the same debt advisory services as other adults including citizens advice bureaux, the Financial Services Association and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service; the Money Advice Liaison Group; and the Money Advice Association.
	It is important to recognise that the student loan debt incurred while at university or college is repaid by the student only after leaving the course and when they are earning £15,000 or more; and then only at a rate of 9 per cent. on earnings above that threshold. The Government are providing more in upfront loan and grant support than ever before, particularly for low income students. Full-time eligible students are now entitled to maintenance grants of up to £2,700, with HE institutions also providing bursaries of typically £1,000. Managing debt has to be seen in that broader context.

Vocational Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what schemes are in place to support the study of vocational subjects  (a) at GCSE level,  (b) A-level and  (c) in further education.

Phil Hope: The Increased Flexibility for 14 to 16-year-olds Programme (IFP) was introduced in 2002. The aim of the programme was to create enhanced vocational and work-related learning opportunities for 14 to 16-year-olds of all abilities who can benefit most—this included supporting provision of the GCSEs in vocational subjects. A fifth cohort of students embarked on the programme this September.
	The young apprenticeship programme for 14 to 16-year-olds offers pupils the opportunity to pursue, alongside their core curriculum, industry-specific courses of study involving extended work experience. Young apprentices combine the practical application of skills in a vocational context with studying for qualifications that relate to particular occupational sectors. There are currently 5,500 pupils on the young apprenticeship programme.
	Apprenticeships are the main programme for young employed people seeking vocational qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3. Other opportunities are also being developed, including a pilot programme that started April this year aimed at encouraging 16 to 18-year-olds in jobs without training to gain a Level 2 qualification, whether academic or vocational.
	The first five specialised diplomas will be available from September 2008 and will offer young people a real alternative to traditional learning styles by offering a high quality, innovative blend of general education and applied, work related learning.

Appointments

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many  (a) Protestant,  (b) Roman Catholic and  (c) non-determined applicants there have been to each of the newly announced governing bodies of the six area based colleges of further and higher education in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  how many  (a) Protestant,  (b) Roman Catholic and  (c) non-determined applications to join the governing bodies of the six area based colleges in Northern Ireland were shortlisted.

Maria Eagle: There were two separate competitions involving further education colleges monitored by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The first, which has now been completed and the outcome announced, was for applications to the position of chair; the second competition, which is still under way, is for the appointment of members. Community background information was collected for statistical purposes and played no part in the appointment process.
	The following table provides a breakdown in terms of community background for these competitions.
	
		
			   Protestant  Roman Catholic  Non-determined  
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Total 
			 Chair applicants 16 50 13 41 3 9 32 
			 Chair applicants invited for interview 12 52 10 43 1 4 23 
			 Member applicants 100 50 85 43 15 8 200 
			 Member applicants invited for interview 53 47 51 45 9 8 113 
			 Total applicants(1) 104 50 91 43 15 7 210 
			 Total applicants invited for interview(1) 57 48 55 46 8 7 120 
			 (1) The totalled figures reflect the combined number of individual applicants for the chair and members competitions. Unsuccessful chair applicants carried forward to the members' competition are not included in these totals, for purpose of avoiding double counting.

Best Practice Scheme

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1544-5W, on the best practice scheme, what steps he is taking to encourage more staff in  (a) each Government Department in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Office and  (b) the voluntary and community sectors to participate in the Northern Ireland best practice scheme.

David Hanson: Staff in all Northern Ireland Government Departments, including the Northern Ireland Office are invited to attend all best practice events. Some of these are targeted at staff at particular grades or working in specific areas. While attendance at events is free, numbers are limited by available space with some events allowing for greater numbers than others.
	The scheme is actively supported by the Northern Ireland Civil Service Permanent Secretaries Group and Permanent Secretaries lead events and encourage staff to attend and feel empowered to apply the learning.
	Voluntary and Community sector organisations have been invited to participate in learning activities through the Chief Executive's Forum, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) and the Association of Chief Officers of Voluntary Organisations (ACOVO).

Departmental Expenditure

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were employed in the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland in each Northern Ireland county in each of the last three years.

David Cairns: The information requested is not routinely collected or available in the format.
	However I can advise, from current information available, based on location at which staff are headquartered, the number of staff employed in each Northern Ireland county is as follows as at 26 October 2006
	
		
			  County  Staff numbers 
			 Antrim 492 
			 Armagh 207 
			 Down 1449 
			 Fermanagh 258 
			 Londonderry/Derry 420 
			 Tyrone 500

District Command Units

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average number of police officers was in each district command unit in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years.

Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the Police Service of Northern Ireland of the following details in respect of the number of police officers deployed across each district command unit over the last two years.
	
		
			   Regular  FTR  PTR 
			  District command unit  2005( 1)  2006( 1)  2005( 1)  2006( 1)  2005( 1)  2006( 1) 
			 Antrim 142 139 39 28 17 14 
			 Ards 142 138 29 13 69 56 
			 Armagh 128 124 37 27 16 13 
			 Ballymena 147 151 14 10 32 29 
			 Ballymoney 68 66 9 6 5 5 
			 Banbridge 99 98 12 8 35 28 
			 Belfast East 209 191 85 51 60 55 
			 Belfast North 343 317 71 49 67 54 
			 Belfast South 393 368 53 33 72 67 
			 Belfast West 233 209 82 57 0 0 
			 Carrickfergus 76 75 25 17 28 28 
			 Castlereagh 118 114 42 32 41 28 
			 Coleraine 150 166 23 12 48 57 
			 Cookstown 90 89 14 5 3 2 
			 Craigavon 191 192 27 26 27 26 
			 Down 161 152 35 18 25 21 
			 Dungannon 142 132 28 23 7 6 
			 Fermanagh 161 155 44 29 21 19 
			 Foyle 253 259 50 54 7 5 
			 Larne 69 68 11 8 17 12 
			 Limavady 82 90 14 14 4 j 4 
			 Lisburn 242 243 41 37 110 98 
			 Magherafelt 97 89 22 6 4 4 
			 Moyle 37 37 7 3 3 2 
			 Newry and Mourne 206 199 45 59 4 3 
			 Newtownabbey 161 163 22 16 72 67 
			 North Down 143 145 34 20 36 32 
			 Omagh 123 126 25 9 19 18 
			 Strabane 118 109 32 16 16 15 
			 Total 4,524 4,404 972 686 865 768 
			 (1) As at October each year.

Zebra Mussels

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1787W, on zebra mussels, what assessment he has made of the impact of zebra mussels on the Lough Neagh ecology; and what the projected impact is for each of the next three years.

David Cairns: The zebra mussel population in Lough Neagh has not yet reached the point where we would expect to see ecological impacts and it is too early to judge what the impact may be over the next three years.
	The colonisation of Lough Erne was rapid reaching maximum population levels within four years. It is not possible at this stage to predict exactly how quickly the colonisation in Lough Neagh will progress but it may be slower than in Lough Erne. Lough Neagh has a lower proportion of hard grounds such as rock and gravel, which are the areas initially favoured by zebra mussels, and more of the less suitable sand and mud which may remain zebra mussel free for longer.
	As population levels of zebra mussels increase the nature of the lake bottom will change and their filter feeding activity will reduce the amount of algae in the lake increasing water clarity. This will have as yet uncertain implications for fish, birds, water abstraction, navigation and other interests. The Inter-Departmental Zebra Mussel Control Group will continue to work closely with the Lough Neagh Advisory Committee in relation to monitoring the spread of mussels, advising on mitigation measures and keeping the public aware of the issues.

Zebra Mussels

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1787W, on zebra mussels, what steps he is taking to halt the spread of zebra mussels in the Lough Neagh.

David Cairns: Since zebra mussels were first found on the hull of a boat in Kinnegoe Marina on 21 November 2005 further investigation has shown that very young zebra mussels are present at several points around the Lough. This means that there is an established adult breeding population. Previous experience suggests that it is not possible to eradicate zebra mussels or halt their future spread, once they have become established. In very specific situations such as on boat hulls, jetties or pipe work it may be possible to prevent them settling and/or remove them using a variety of techniques.
	The Inter-Departmental Zebra Mussel Control Group will continue to work closely with the Lough Neagh Advisory Committee in relation to monitoring the spread of mussels, advising on mitigation measures and keeping the public aware of the issues.

Social Exclusion Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 99W, on the Social Exclusion Unit, on what date the Social Exclusion Unit ceased to exist; why the decision was made to end the work of the Unit; and which agency now has responsibility for taking forward the work programme of the Unit.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	On 17 July 2006 responsibility for social exclusion transferred from the Social Exclusion Unit, based in the Department for Communities and Local Government, to the Social Exclusion Task Force, based in the Cabinet Office. This followed the appointment of a Cabinet-level Minister for Social Exclusion in the Cabinet Office.
	The Social Exclusion Task Force now leads cross-government work on social exclusion and provides support to the Minister. It published "Reaching Out, the Government's Action Plan on Social Exclusion", in September 2006. The main work programme of the Social Exclusion Unit ("Improving Services, Improving Lives") was completed in July 2006.

Social Exclusion Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 99W, on the social exclusion unit, what evaluation has been carried out of the work carried out by the former social exclusion unit over its lifetime.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Social Exclusion Unit was set up in 1997 on a time-limited basis and was reviewed in 1999. This review was conducted by a small group of key stakeholders from inside and outside Government and chaired by the Head of the Economic and Domestic Secretariat within the Cabinet Office. The review concluded that the Unit had been a success and should continue until at least 2002.
	In 2004 the SEU carried out a major stocktake of the Government's approach to tackling social exclusion—published in the report, "Breaking the Cycle". This brought together evidence from a range of national data sources, evaluation literature and the perspectives of service providers and users, and highlighted progress made by the Government's approach and remaining challenges.

Departmental IT

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on  (a) information technology projects generally and  (b) web-facing projects in each year since 2001, broken down by (i) expenditure on consultants and (ii) other costs.

Peter Hain: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The National Assembly of Wales provided information technology support service functions to the Wales Office until 31 March 2004, and the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has provided these services since then. Accordingly the Assembly were responsible for sourcing and awarding any contracts up to March 2004 and the DCA has done so since then.
	 (b) i. There has been no expenditure by the Wales Office on consultants regarding IT projects.
	ii. The cost since 2001 for our web-facing projects has been £1,600 for each year, in other costs.

Departmental IT

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many information technology projects his Department has undertaken in each year since 2001.

Peter Hain: In 2004 my Department moved information technology services from The National Assembly for Wales, who provided information technology support service functions to the Wales Office until 31 March 2004, to The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) who has provided these services since then.
	Accordingly the Assembly were responsible for sourcing and awarding any contracts up to March 2004 and the DCA has done so since then.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office did not pay any bonuses to staff before the 2005-06 financial year.
	In the 2005-06 financial year, one member of staff received a bonus payment of £300 before tax, which represents 1.6 per cent. of the total workforce.
	In the current financial year three members of staff have received bonuses, representing five per cent. of the workforce. All of the bonuses together came to £862.30 before tax, and the largest single payment was £362.30.

Olympic Games

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with appropriate bodies to ensure that Wales benefits economically and socially from the London Olympics and Paralympics; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Wales has an important contribution to make to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and I meet with the relevant Ministers, in Whitehall and in Cardiff, on a regular basis, to discuss the opportunities presented to Wales by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
	The Wales Office is represented on the Welsh Assembly Government's Olympic Steering Group which is engaged with the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Nations and Regions Group of the London Organising Committee.
	We intend to maximise the sustainable economic and social benefits to Wales, including those arising from the anticipated increase in tourism. Wales has many excellent training facilities and will offer a warm welcome to visiting teams and supporters. The Games will also produce a significant sporting legacy for Wales with associated health-related benefits.

Drink Driving

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrian deaths in road accidents there were where the pedestrian had over 100 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood in each year since 2003; and what percentage of all pedestrian road accident deaths in  (a) England and  (b) each region this represents in each case.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of pedestrian deaths where the pedestrian had a blood alcohol content over 100mg per 100ml and the percentage of all pedestrian road accident deaths in each region this represents are not available. Estimates of the percentage of pedestrian fatalities aged 16 and over in England who had over 100 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood are given in the following table. No data are yet available for 2005.
	
		
			  Pedestrian fatalities aged 16 and over: England 2003 -04 
			   Percentage of sample with blood alcohol content over 100mg/100ml  Sample size 
			 2003 33 254 
			 2004 37 229 
			  Source:  Coroners' data

Eurotunnel

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Monsieur Gounon of Eurotunnel with regard to freight.

Tom Harris: The Minister has had no discussions with Monsieur Gounon of Eurotunnel on the subject of freight. Discussions on this matter have been conducted by officials.

Motorways

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 17 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1136W, on motorways, when he expects to extend active traffic management and hard shoulder running to other motorways and trunk roads.

Stephen Ladyman: Initial indications from the current hard shoulder trial on the M42 near Birmingham are encouraging. However, further evidence from the trial will be needed to assess the overall impact on journey times, motorway capacity and safety.
	The Highways Agency will continue to evaluate the evidence as the trial progresses, to develop its understanding of the possible application of active traffic management—including hard shoulder running—elsewhere on the motorway and trunk road network. If the trial results prove positive we will want to implement the techniques at other locations as soon as practical.

Road Accidents

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians have been  (a) injured,  (b) seriously injured and  (c) killed in collisions with cyclists in each region for each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of pedestrians injured in collisions with cyclists in each region for each of the last 12 months is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Pedestrian casualties hit by pedal cycles by severity, government office region and month: GB 2005 
			   Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec 
			  Injured( 1) 
			 North East 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 
			 North West 0 5 3 2 2 4 4 6 2 4 2 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 1 2 1 5 4 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 
			 East Midlands 1 1 1 4 1 1 0 2 1 4 0 3 
			 West Midlands 3 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 2 0 0 
			 East of England 3 1 1 1 5 5 2 4 3 1 3 0 
			 South East 0 3 5 3 4 6 6 3 3 8 3 4 
			 London 2 3 6 5 7 9 4 7 9 7 6 3 
			 South West 1 0 1 2 0 6 2 2 1 0 1 2 
			 England 11 18 20 22 25 34 23 25 22 27 16 13 
			 Wales 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 
			 Scotland 0 0 3 1 1 4 5 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Total 11 19 24 23 26 38 28 25 23 28 17 14 
			  
			  Seriously injured 
			 North East 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North West 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Midlands 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 
			 East of England 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 
			 South East 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 London 1 0 2 3 1 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 South West 0 0 0 1 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 England 2 1 6 5 3 15 5 6 3 5 3 3 
			 Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Scotland 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 2 1 7 5 3 16 5 6 4 5 4 3 
			  
			  Killed 
			 North East 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North West 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Midlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East of England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South East 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0. 0 0 0 0 
			 London 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South West 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 England 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 
			 Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 
			 (1) Includes casualties that were seriously and slightly injured.

Road Accidents

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been  (a) killed and  (b) injured by drivers who were using hand-held mobile phones.

Stephen Ladyman: In 2005 there were 12 people killed and 452 people injured in road accidents where a police officer attended the scene and "driver using mobile phone" was reported as a contributory factor. This contributory factor includes 'hand-held' and 'hands-free' phones, where their use (or attempted use) contributed to the accident.

Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report commissioned by his Department entitled Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods.

Gillian Merron: A report will be produced at the end of the project and this will be made available in the Libraries of the House. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2007.

Compensation Bill

Nick Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the Compensation Bill on the practice of vehicle repair firms being paid by solicitors to refer customers who have been in road traffic accidents to them.

Bridget Prentice: The Compensation Act provides the statutory framework for the regulation of claims management services. The Law Society rules already impose strict requirements on solicitors related to referrals from introducers such as vehicle repair firms. We are considering the appropriate regulatory arrangements to be applied through the new powers provided by the Act. This includes considering if those firms where referrals are purely incidental to their main business—for example vehicle repairers—should be subject to direct regulation or full responsibility for their compliance with the appropriate rules should be taken by the solicitors or other authorised businesses to whom they introduce to.

Postal Voting

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for the Vale of Clwyd on 19 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1387W, on postal voting, 
	(1)  what methods of collecting additional personal identifiers from existing postal voters her Department will advise returning officers to use;
	(2)  whether targets will be set for returning officers for the collection of additional personal identifiers from existing postal voters;
	(3)  what monitoring of the process of collecting additional personal identifiers from existing postal voters her Department will introduce.

Bridget Prentice: The Government plan shortly to make transitional regulations that will require Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to obtain a signature and date of birth from existing postal voters to ensure that they will be subject to the new personal identifiers arrangements for absent voters. The regulations will require EROs to send a notice in writing to existing postal voters requesting the personal identifiers, which may be sent by the royal mail, a commercial delivery firm or any other way that the ERO thinks appropriate. EROs will be required to send a reminder to postal voters who have not responded after 21 days. Further, EROs will be required to provide information to existing postal voters about how the personal identifiers will be used, and to explain that failure to provide the personal identifiers will result in the person losing their entitlement to vote by post, though loss of entitlement will not prevent the person from making a fresh postal vote application.
	We do not consider it would be practical to set targets for the collection of the personal identifiers or to put in place formal monitoring arrangements. I understand that the independent Electoral Commission plans to issue guidance to electoral administrators about the collection of personal identifiers from existing postal voters, and to collect data about the number of notices issued by EROs and the percentage that are returned.

Breast Cancer

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) men and  (b) women (i) died of and (ii) were diagnosed with breast cancer in (1) the UK, (2) the North of England, (3) South Tyneside and (4) Jarrow constituency in each year since 1996.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 October 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women (i) died of and (ii) were diagnosed with breast cancer in (1) the UK, (2) the North, (3) South Tyneside and (4) Jarrow constituency in each year since 1996.
	The latest available figures for deaths from breast cancer are for the year 2005. Numbers of deaths from breast cancer by sex for the years 1996 to 2005 for the UK, North East Government Office Region (GOR), South Tyneside County District (CD) and Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency (PC) are given in Table 1 below.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2004 (England and Wales) and 2003 (Scotland and Northern Ireland). Numbers of cases of breast cancer by sex for the years 1996 to 2003 for the UK and 1996 to 2004 for North East Government Office Region (GOR), South Tyneside County District (CD) and Jarrow Parliamentary Constituency (PC) are given in Table 2 below.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where breast cancer was the underlying cause of death,( 1)  UK, North East GOR,  South Tyneside CD and Jarrow PC, 1996 to 2005( 2) 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Males   
			 UK(3, 4) 77 77 82 71 77 89 88 82 70 92 
			 North East GOR 5 3 4 3 2 2 7 6 2 3 
			 South Tyneside CD 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1. 0 0 
			 Jarrow PC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			
			  Females   
			 UK(3, 4) 13,708 13,387 13,202 12,946 12,767 13,015 12,846 12,623 12,338 12,417 
			 North East GOR 575 607 567 542 516 555 508 471 522 550 
			 South Tyneside CD 30 42 39 32 31 34 33 28 26 25 
			 Jarrow PC 15 15 17 20 19 16 21 14 13 13 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 174-175 for the years 1996 to 2000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 1996 to 1999 in Scotland, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C50 for subsequent years. The introduction of ICD-10 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2000 for the UK and 2001 for sub-national areas are not completely comparable with later years.(2 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.(3 )UK figures include deaths of non-residents in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not in England and Wales.(4 )UK figures for 2005 include figures for Northern Ireland which are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer( 1)  for the UK, North East GOR, South Tyneside CD and Jarrow PC, 1996-2004 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Males  
			 UK 240 263 304 311 239 294 292 341 __ 
			 North East GOR 6 11 10 13 10 16 17 15 14 
			 South Tyneside CD 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 
			 Jarrow PC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			   
			  Females  
			 UK 36,574 37,751 39,338 41,056 40,618 40,982 41,258 43,711 __ 
			 North East GOR 1,536 1,539 1,681 1,666 1,663 1,715 1,696 1,892 1,960 
			 South Tyneside CD 103 102 95 106 118 101 101 129 116 
			 Jarrow PC 54 59 43 68 60 53 61 71 57 
			 (1 )Breast cancer is defined as code C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD 10). Note:Figures for North East GOR for the years 2000-2003 are available in Table 4 of the Annual Reference Volume, Cancer statistics: Registrations, Series MB1. Source:Office for National Statistics, Welsh Cancer Intelligence & Surveillance Unit, Scottish Cancer Registry ISD and Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.

Child Trust Fund

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations the Government has made to Child Trust Fund operators requesting that they provide ethical investment options.

Edward Balls: The Child Trust Fund has been specifically designed to allow ethical investments. Details of the providers offering ethical investment options are available in the Child Trust Fund information booklet. The choice of provider is a decision for each individual.

Child Trust Fund

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Chorley have taken out child trust funds; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) on 30 October 2006, question 97178.

Immigration

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of all UK workers were migrant workers in each reporting period since 1992-93, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 31 October 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the percentage of employed people in the United Kingdom who were migrant workers, by region, since 1992. (96623)
	The attached table gives the percentage of employed people of working age in each region of residence who were either United Kingdom or foreign born, for the three month period ending June, for each year since 1997. Comparable estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000, and for earlier periods.
	Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Percentage( 1)  of people in employment of working age( 2)  who were born in the United Kingdom or were born abroad, by region of residence, 1997 to 2006, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Three months ending June each year  United Kingdom  North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  Eastern 
			  1997
			 Born in UK 92.5 97.3 95.9 95.6 94.4 93.8 93.6 
			 Born abroad 7.5 2.7 4.1 4.4 5.6 6.2 6.4 
			 
			  1999
			 Born in UK 92.3 97.8 96.0 95.5 94.2 93.7 93.4 
			 Born abroad 7.7 2.2 4.0 4.5 5.8 6.3 6.6 
			 
			  2001
			 Born in UK 91.8 97.0 96.1 95.5 94.7 94.1 92.7 
			 Born abroad 8.2 3.0 3.9 4.5 5.3 5.9 7.3 
			 
			  2002
			 Born in UK 91.4 96.9 96.1 95.3 94.2 93.7 92.7 
			 Born abroad 8.6 3.1 3.9 4.7 5.8 6.3 7.3 
			 
			  2003
			 Born in UK 90.9 97.5 95.9 94.3 94.5 93.2 92.5 
			 Born abroad 9.1 2.5 4.1 5.7 5.5 6.8 7.5 
			 
			  2004
			 Born in UK 90.6 96.1 95.8 94.6 93.7 92.7 91.8 
			 Born abroad 9.4 3.9 4.2 5.4 6.3 7.3 8.2 
			 
			  2005
			 Born in UK 90.1 96.1 94.7 93.5 93.1 93.7 91.1 
			 Born abroad 9.9 3.9 5.3 6.5 6.9 6.3 8.9 
			 
			  2006
			 Born in UK 88.9 96.3 93.9 93.4 91.6 91.5 89.4 
			 Born abroad 11.1 3.7 6.1 6.6 8.4 8.5 10.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Three months ending June each year  London  South East  South West  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland 
			  1997   
			 Born in UK 74.7 92.7 95.5 96.7 97.2 96.9 
			 Born abroad 25.3 7.3 4.5 3.3 2.8 3.1 
			
			  1999   
			 Born in UK 74.2 92.7 95.4 97.1 96.4 96.5 
			 Born abroad 25.8 7.3 4.6 2.9 3.6 3.5 
			
			  2001   
			 Born in UK 71.6 92.0 95.2 96.4 96.8 96.3 
			 Born abroad 28.4 8.0 4.8 3.6 3.2 3.7 
			
			  2002   
			 Born in UK 70.1 91.6 94.0 96.7 96.3 96.5 
			 Born abroad 29.9 8.4 6.0 3.3 3.7 3.5 
			
			  2003   
			 Born in UK 68.2 90.7 93.7 95.5 96.2 96.5 
			 Born abroad 31.8 9.3 6.3 4.5 3.8 3.5 
			
			  2004   
			 Born in UK 67.3 91.0 94.4 95.9 96.1 95.1 
			 Born abroad 32.7 9.0 5.6 4.1 3.9 4.9 
			
			  2005   
			 Born in UK 66.3 90.6 93.9 95.8 95.5 95.4 
			 Born abroad 33.7 9.4 6.1 4.2 4.5 4.6 
			
			  2006   
			 Born in UK 65.0 88.6 93.0 96.2 95.0 94.2 
			 Born abroad 35.0 11.4 7.0 3.8 5.0 5.8 
			 (1) Those who did not state their country of birth are excluded from totals.  (2) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59.  Note: Comparable data not available for 1998 and 2000.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS).

IT Projects

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 283W, on information technology projects, what the reasons were for the time taken to implement the Actuary Department's BS7799 compliance IT project; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government Actuary's Department BS7799 compliance IT project was impacted upon by it vacating its then offices.
	It is expected that BS7799 accreditation will be in place in the next few months.

Planning Gain Supplement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the threshold will be for exemption from the Planning Gain Supplement; and whether this will be based on  (a) area and  (b) value of development;
	(2)  whether there will be exemptions to the Planning Supplement for  (a) renewable energy and  (b) other classes of development.

John Healey: The Government published a consultation paper on the proposed Planning-gain Supplement in the 2005 pre-Budget report. This included details on the scope of PGS, including proposals for minimum thresholds and exemptions. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.

Planning Gain Supplement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how Planning Gain Supplement levies will be  (a) collected and  (b) distributed; and which agencies will be eligible to receive money to spend on infrastructure;
	(2)  what guidance will be issued to relevant authorities on what investment can be paid for by the levies raised by the Planning Gain Supplement.

John Healey: The Government published a consultation paper on the proposed Planning-gain Supplement in the 2005 pre-Budget report. This included a chapter on the allocation of PGS revenues; further to this the Government stated at Budget 2006 that it will ensure that a significant majority of Planning-gain Supplement (PGS) revenues are retained for infrastructure priorities within the local authority area where the revenues derived. The remainder would be dedicated to strategic infrastructure of regional importance.
	Further announcements on PGS' implementation will be made by the end of the year.

Planning Gain Supplement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have been held between his Department and Scottish Executive officials to discuss the proposals for a Planning Gain Supplement.

John Healey: The consultation document published alongside the 2005 pre-Budget report indicated that if introduced, a Planning-gain Supplement (PGS) would apply throughout the UK. The Government continue to work closely with the Scottish Executive on the interaction of PGS with devolved policy areas. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of appeals against tax credit overpayments were successful in each  (a) month,  (b) quarter and  (c) year since April 2003;
	(2)  how many tax credit overpayments were (a) disputed and (b) successfully disputed in each (i) month since 1st May 2006 and (ii) year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 14 July 2006,  Official Report, column 2116W, and 18 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 359-60W and to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Mr. Alexander) on 10 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 730-31W.
	The Tax Credit Office (TCO) received around 31,500 disputed overpayments in September 2006.
	The number of overpayments where the overpayment was successfully disputed, that is, where the overpayment was written off in full or in part by the TCO because of official error, was around 1,000 in September 2006.
	The figures for overpayments written off do not directly relate to those disputes that were received in the same month.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of fraud involving the child care element of tax credits; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of fraud and error involving child care costs were included in the document 'Child and Working Tax Credits Error and fraud statistics 2003-04' available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/stats.htm

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many staff work on tax benefits administration; and how many did so in April 2006;
	(2)  how many staff were employed by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor bodies in each year since 2000-01; how many of these staff worked wholly or partly on tax credits; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 July 2005,  Official Report, column 1699W.
	The number of staff employed in 2005-06 can be found at part 2, figure 1, of the Comptroller and Auditor General's standard report for 2005-06 which is available at:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/chronindex.asp?type=account.
	Around 8,750 staff were employed in 2005-06.
	Overall staffing figures for earlier years for the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise can be found in their annual reports.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated level is of systematic tax credit fraud in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available. The 2006-07 random enquiry programme cannot start until after finalisation. Results of the 2003-04 random enquiry programme can be found in "Child and Working Tax Credits Error and Fraud Statistics 2003-04" available at www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/index.htm.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of tax credit administration in 2005-06, broken down by main cost headings.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1950W.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what procedures  (a) HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) the Department have in place for the approval of easements to tax credit verification rules; how these have changed since 2002; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether approval is needed from  (a) the Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) Treasury Ministers for easement of the tax credit verification rules.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has operational responsibility for the administration of tax credits. The HMRC Governance structure was set out in their spring departmental report, published in June 2006.

VAT Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the upper and lower levels of missing trader VAT fraud in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Annual estimates of attempted MTIC fraud from 2000-01 to 2004-05 were published alongside PBR 2005 in 'Measuring Indirect Tax Losses — 2005', which is available from the House of Commons Library or from the following website: www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2005/mitl2005.pdf.
	The first estimates of attempted MTIC fraud were made for 1999-2000, and can be found in 'Measuring and Tackling Indirect Tax Losses—2004', which is also available from the House of Commons Library. The estimate for 2005-06 will be published at PBR 2006.

"Not to Exceed" Dates

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the 'not to exceed' in-service date at main gate was for  (a) Defence Information Infrastructure (Head Office),  (b) Defence Information Infrastructure (Fleet Service),  (c) Catterick Garrison SDR Project-Gaza/Megiddo Lines,  (d) DLO BCP Defence Electronic Commerce Service-E-Catelogues,  (e) Logistics Information Technology System-Delamination for DII/F,  (f) Defence Estaters Regional Prime Contracting-South West,  (g) Colchester Garrison,  (h) Joint Personnel Administration and  (i) Projects Allenby and Connaught; and what the 'not to exceed' cost at main gate was for the demonstration and manufacture phase of each project, broken into (i) indirect resoure Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), (ii) direct resource DEL and (iii) capital DEL.

Adam Ingram: The term 'not to exceed' was not used during the approvals process for the majority of the projects as they predated the use of this concept. The values and dates used in the following table are those approved at Main Gate.
	Similarly, not all of the projects broke the cost down into Indirect RDEL, Direct RDEL and Capital DEL. The table therefore reflects the values approved in the relevant Main Gate, many of which are for service based contracts, not a demonstration and manufacture phase.
	
		
			Approved cost (£ million) 
			  Project name  Approved in service date  Indirect RDEL  Direct RDEL  Capital DEL 
			 Defence Information Infrastructure (Head Office) May 2004 (First User Live) — 92 48 
			  
			 Defence Information Infrastructure (Fleet First) June 2004 — 15 7.9 
			  
			 Catterick Garrison SDK Project GAZA-MEGIDDO Not Approved at Main Gate 
			  
			 DLO BCP Defence Electronic Commerce Service-E-catalogues No ISO Approval within case 4.973 6.115 5.433 
			  
			 Logistics Information Technology System-Delamination for DII/F March 2005 (project delivery date) 13.131 10.642 
			  
			 Defence Estates Regional Prime Contracting-South West June 2005 (core services element) — 492.6 25.94 
			  
			 Colchester Garrison PFI No ISO Approval within case 1,025.5 
			
			 Joint Personnel Administration March 2006 (RAF) 108.6 (Manufacture and Migration Cost) 
			  June 2006 (RN)  
			  November 2006 (Army)  
			 
			 Project Allenby-Connaught PFI May 2006 7727 595

Chaplains

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the number of chaplains in each of the Armed Forces.

Derek Twigg: The Royal Navy currently has 70(1) chaplains and is seeking to recruit up to its establishment of 75(1) chaplains. A review of the Royal Navy chaplaincy service is currently taking place as part of the Navy Board Personnel Change Programme to ensure that the establishment, placement and training of chaplains matches the current, and anticipated, needs of the service.
	The Army currently has 145(1) chaplains and is seeking to recruit up to its Establishment of 160(1) Chaplains.
	The RAF currently has 70(1) chaplains and is seeking to recruit up to its establishment of 75(1) chaplains.
	In addition to serving service chaplains the armed forces have four full time civilian chaplains to the military for the Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu and Muslim faiths. There is also an honorary officiating chaplain to minister to those of the Jewish faith. There are no plans to change the number of these chaplains.
	(1 )All figures have been rounded to the nearest five

Defence Estates

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment Defence Estates makes of local economic development priorities when disposing of surplus property.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 20 October 2006
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is required to obtain market value when disposing of surplus assets. Defence Estates—the MOD agency with responsibility for the defence estate—works closely, however, with all interested parties to seek the best possible future use for the site. It is our normal practice to work with local planning authorities in disposing of sites and discussions of local economic development priorities should take place as part of that process, including other Government agencies and Departments on a case by case basis.

Departmental Redundancies

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancies there were in his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of such redundancies was in each year; how many temporary staff were employed in each year; and how many staff were seconded by outside organisations to posts within his Department in each year.

Derek Twigg: Available information is shown in the following table. Information on redundancies for civilian staff prior to 1999-2000 is not available.
	
		
			   Civilian redundancies  Service personnel redundancies  Average number of casual civilian staff  Number of civilian staff seconded into Department 
			 1997-98 (1)— 10 2,930 1,180 
			 1998-99 (1)— (2)— 2,250 1,370 
			 1999-2000 1,560 (2)— 2,050 1,880 
			 2000-01 1,220 (2)— 1,760 230 
			 2001-02 840 (2)— 1,750 300 
			 2002-03 710 (2)— 1,800 380 
			 2003-04 1,580 (2)— 900 550 
			 2004-05 890 (2)— 1,370 580 
			 2005-06 1,620 530 1,370 390 
			 (1) Data not available.  (2) Zero or rounded to zero.   Notes:  1. Data on costs of redundancies are not held centrally.  2. This table uses the revised definition of civilian personnel (www.dasa.mod.uk).  3. None of the above information is available for Royal Fleet Auxiliary or locally engaged civilian staff.  4. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.  5. Casual staff and secondments do not apply to service personnel.

Energy Consumption

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps have been taken to address energy waste through lack of insulation in departmental properties.

Derek Twigg: It is the policy of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to comply fully with the Building Regulations. This includes the requirement to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions for buildings also covered by part L2 Conservation of Fuel and Power for England and Wales which came into force in April 2006. Accordingly, the MOD is adopting a range of policies to improve the whole-life efficiency, energy use, and sustainability of its built estate.
	Measures include improved air tightness, higher thermal mass, care in sizing, positioning and detailing windows, orientation of buildings and the use of sustainable building materials and construction techniques. These measures are reflected in new and refurbished buildings which are better designed and more energy efficient; and in efforts to monitor and improve the way that defence personnel use energy in buildings that they occupy.

Housing

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to make service families accommodation regulations consistent with regulations for civilian property.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Medical Services

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are on waiting lists for treatment at NHS hospitals.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 17 October 2006
	Service personnel who return with serious injuries from operational theatres are treated immediately. In addition, the MOD pays NHS Trusts to expedite elective secondary-care treatment ahead of typical NHS time scales where there is an operational benefit.
	On average, about 4,200 personnel across all three services will be in the process of being seen as either an in-patient or out-patient in the NHS Trusts which host Ministry of Defence Hospital Units the majority of whom remain employed during this process. A small number of military personnel will receive treatment at other NHS hospitals, but this information is not held centrally and could only be obtained by examining all individual medical records.
	The MOD runs its own rehabilitation units (for military patients with a range of musculo-skeletal conditions) and community-based psychiatric facilities, and has a contract with the Priory Group for the provision of in-patient psychiatric treatment. Such patients will therefore not need treatment in NHS facilities.

Middle East

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which UK  (a) air and maritime assets and  (b) other military facilities are being used in support of UN operations in the Lebanon;
	(2)  whether the UK plans to provide any further support to the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 October 2006
	The UK provided HMS York to a UN-sponsored temporary maritime task force in early September. This task force was replaced by a follow-on force under UNIFIL command, on 15 October; we do not plan to provide any further maritime support. We have offered to provide support in other areas, including use of our sovereign base areas on Cyprus, and provision of a naval logistician to assist the UN. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the UK pays a premium contribution to the costs of UN operations.

Military Personnel

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) actual and  (b) establishment figures are for each regiment of the British regular infantry;
	(2)  what the  (a) current and  (b) establishment infantry manning levels are, broken down by (i) division and (ii) battalion.

Derek Twigg: Establishment figures for the Infantry are not generally compiled in terms of regiment (the description of the organisation beyond a single cap badge). The following table shows the currently recorded strengths and establishments of the Infantry by battalion, the fighting unit, and Infantry Division but does not include those members of the regiment serving outside the battalion.
	
		
			  Infantry trained strength and establishment of the regular Army and full time reserve service (FTRS) by battalion as at 1 August 2006 
			  Battalion ( 1) Strength  Establishment 
			  Footguards 2,540 2,920 
			 1 Grenadier Guards 540 570 
			 1 Coldstream Guards 540 570 
			 1 Scots Guards 470 640 
			 1 Irish Guards 490 570 
			 1 Welsh Guards 500 570 
			
			  Scots Div (1)2,790 2,930 
			 1 Royal Regiment of Scotland (1)700 570 
			 2 Royal Regiment of Scotland (1)500 570 
			 3 Royal Regiment of Scotland (1)560 570 
			 4 Royal Regiment of Scotland (1)550 640 
			 5 Royal Regiment of Scotland (1)480 590 
			
			  Queen's Div 3,140 3,560 
			 1 Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment 490 640 
			 2 Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment 520 570 
			 1 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 550 640 
			 2 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 480 570 
			 1 Royal Anglian Regiment 580 600 
			 2 Royal Anglian Regiment 530 560 
			
			  King's Div (1)2,960 3,500 
			 1 Yorkshire Regiment (1)510 570 
			 2 Yorkshire Regiment (1)470 570 
			 3 Yorkshire Regiment (1)510 600 
			 1 Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1)500 590 
			 2 Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1)590 620 
			 3 Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1)400 560 
			
			  Prince of Wales Div (1)2,360 2,970 
			 1 Cheshire Regiment (1)460 570 
			 1 Royal Welsh Regiment (1)460 570 
			 2 Royal Welsh Regiment (1)470 640 
			 1 Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (1)490 560 
			 1 Staffordshire Regiment (1)480 640 
			
			  Light Div (1)3,060 3,510 
			 1 Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, Light Infantry (1)490 590 
			 1 Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, Light Infantry (1)450 560 
			 1 Light Infantry (1)570 640 
			 2 Light Infantry (1)520 570 
			 1 Royal Green Jackets (1)490 570 
			 2 Royal Green Jackets (1)530 600 
			
			  Para 1,460 1,760 
			 1 Parachute Regiment 460 580 
			 2 Parachute Regiment 480 590 
			 3 Parachute Regiment 520 590 
			 1 Royal Irish Regiment 450 590 
			 1 Royal Ghurkha Regiment 20 20 
			 2 Royal Ghurkha Regiment 20 20 
			 (1) provisional, as some records are currently being updated to reflect recent and planned divisional and regimental Infantry changes. Notes:1. The establishment figures refer to the number of posts within a battalion that may be filled by Infantry personnel (officers and soldiers). Therefore, it excludes posts that are filled by attached personnel of other Arms and Services such as chefs, clerks, etc. Establishments will also vary depending on the particular role of a battalion; for example, Armoured Infantry battalions have larger establishments than light role Infantry battalions.2. Strength figures include members of the Regiment serving with the battalion i.e. 2 Parachute Regiment (2 Para) includes Para personnel posted to 2 Para, it does not include other Infantry serving with the 2 Para or Para personnel posted away from the regiment. Strength figures also exclude attached Arm/Services. 3. The Guards Division strengths and establishments exclude the Public Duty Companies. 4. Figures are for trained Infantry Officers and Soldiers and include Infantry Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel servingwith the battalions.5. Royal Ghurkha Regiment figures are for the Regular Army Officers (UK Personnel) only and do not include the Ghurkhas.6. Strength and Establishment figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals are rounded separately and therefore may not equal the sum of their parts.

Military Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Snatch One, Two and Three Land Rovers are in Iraq and Afghanistan; and how many of each are operational.

Adam Ingram: For UK holdings, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the Member for Bournemouth, East on 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1230W. In respect of Iraq and Afghanistan I am withholding details of the military capability deployed on operations since its disclosure would reveal the strength and capability of UK forces operating in theatre, and could have a bearing on operational security.

Military Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first batch of Panther vehicles is expected to be deployed; which type of vehicle they will replace; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: On current plans the in service date for Panther is November 2007; the deployment of this vehicle on operations will then depend on judgments by the permanent joint headquarters.
	Panther will replace a variety of vehicles operating in the command and liaison role including CVR(T) Spartan, Landrover, Saxon, FV432 and FV436 vehicles. I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 3 November 2005,  Official Report, column 1263W, and 14 December 2005,  Official Report, column 2041-42W.

Operational Bonus

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact the operational bonus announced on 11 October will have on the payment of the X factor to members of the armed forces in  (a) the 2006-07 financial year and  (b) future financial years.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 16 October 2006
	The introduction of the operational bonus will have no impact on the payment of X factor in 2006-07. The value of X factor will remain at 13 per cent. of basic pay for regular service personnel up to the rank of lieutenant colonel and equivalent at the mid pay point, beyond which it tapers. X factor is regularly reviewed by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB). The next review is due in 2007-08. My Department will therefore be submitting a paper of evidence on X factor to the AFPRB in 2007 to inform the Review Body's deliberations for its 2008 report.

Promotion

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) allowance is made in initial training and  (b) seniority in rank is granted for previous service when non-commissioned officers below the rank of warrant officer are selected for commissioned service in (i) the Royal Navy, (ii) the Royal Marines, (iii) the British Army and (iv) the Royal Air Force. [R]

Derek Twigg: In the Naval Service, there are two schemes for entering the officer corps from the ranks:
	The Upper Yardman/Corps Commission (UY/CC) schemes for RN ratings and RM other ranks respectively who are under the age of 26 (for engineers—age 30) on the first day of the month that initial officer training begins.
	The Senior Upper Yardman/Senior Corps Commission (SUY/SCC) schemes for RN ratings and RM other ranks respectively who are over the age of 26 (for engineers—age 30) and would have a minimum of four years to serve (until their retirement date) on the first day of the month that initial officer training is expected to begin.
	Individuals selected for the officer corps via the UY/CC schemes are treated in exactly the same way as individuals entering from outside the service and undertake the same initial training and are awarded the same rank and seniority on entry (currently based on age) as their civilian counterparts.
	Individuals selected for the officer corps via the SUY/SCC schemes undertake phase 1 training but thereafter receive bespoke training (where required) based on their experience and the nature of the post to which they are appointed. Given the greater relative experience of SUY/SCC officers over those selected by direct entry or via the UY/CC route, and in recognition of their likely employment (often as deep specialist officers), former ratings and other ranks (below the rank of Warrant Officer) gain a minimum one year's seniority advantage over their peers by passing out of phase 1 training as a Lieutenant RN or Captain RM.
	In the Army there are two categories of personnel commissioned from the ranks: Late Entry (LE) Officers and those soldiers who attend the full Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) Commissioning Course before the age of 29 and go on to be treated as Direct Entry (DE) Officers:
	Those who commission as LE Officers arrive on a level playing field as their civilian counterparts. They do exactly the same amount of training on commissioning and must attend the Late Entry Officer Course within their first year. There is then no difference in the speed with which they can be promoted up the rank structure.
	DE Officers from the Ranks attend the year long Commissioning Course at RMAS and will progress at different speeds depending on their reckonable service. They are allowed to carry forward half of their service in the ranks up to a maximum of four years. This allows those with more reckonable service to be promoted to Captain within 2.5 years of commissioning. This is on a par with graduate officers who can accumulate a maximum of 3.4 years reckonable service in recognition for their academic studies.
	In the RAF, non-commissioned personnel who are selected for commissioned service in the general branches are made no allowance in terms of their initial training. If, however, they are entering as a nurse, they undertake the shorter SERE (Specialist Entrant—Re Entrant) course. This recognises their specialist skills and is tailored to the career pathways available to the specialist branches.
	Non-commissioned airmen/women are commissioned under the terms set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Former rank( 1,2)  Rank on graduation from IOT  Promotion to Flight Lieutenant after:( 3,4,5) 
			 Flight Sergeant/Chief Technician Flying Officer 1 year 
			 Sergeant Flying Officer 18 months 
			 Corporal Flying Officer 2 years 
			 Senior Aircraftsman/Junior Technician Flying Officer 2.5 years 
			 (1) All serving airmen and ex-non-commissioned personnel, except those commissioned as graduate entrants iaw para. 0221 will attend Initial Officer Training as Officer Cadets (OCs). Para. 0221 states that: candidates from civil life, serving officers and airmen who hold a qualification equivalent to a degree which is acceptable for graduate entry into one branch may also be eligible for graduate entry into other branches.  (2) Former rank also refers to Normal Paid Acting Rank.  (3) Serving and ex-non-commissioned personnel entering a ground branch who obtained a degree prior to initially joining the service will have the period of commissioned service they are required to complete before promotion to flight lieutenant reduced by six months.  (4) Excludes ex-serving nurses who, in recognition of their professional qualifications, will have their seniority assessed under the provisions of para 0387, which states that: In the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS), officers are awarded a time credit for full-time civil nursing experience in a recognized appointment after registration as a Registered General Nurse. Time credits are set against the normal time-promotion progression to assess rank and seniority on entry. Subject to a maximum total of six years they are awarded in accordance with the following scale: (a) The first two years in full. (b) Officers who possess a Registered Nurse Tutors Certificate on entry; the first three years—in full. (c) Any later experience—in half.  (5) Or attaining the age of 24, whichever is the later.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was of  (a) abortions performed (i) before the 12(th) week of pregnancy, (ii) between the 12(th) and 18(th) weeks of pregnancy, (iii) between the 18(th) and 24(th) weeks of pregnancy and (iv) after the 24(th) week of pregnancy and  (b) the provision of the morning after pill in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: Information on the cost of performing abortion by gestation period is not collected centrally.
	In addition, the total cost of the provision of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) is not collected centrally. The available costs to the national health service for prescriptions dispensed in the community in England for the last three years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Net ingredient cost (£ million) 
			 2003 2.3 
			 2004 2.1 
			 2005 1.9 
			  Source:Business Services Authority 
		
	
	Information is not available on the cost of EHC supplied by: hospitals; community contraceptive clinics; nurses or pharmacists under a Patient Group Direction; private prescriptions; or purchased in pharmacies.

Breast Cancer

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has commissioned research to examine potential links between exposure to agricultural chemicals and breast cancer.

Caroline Flint: The Department's independent committee on carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment (COC) recently considered potential association between certain environmental organochlorine insecticides and breast cancer. A statement was finalised in September 2004 and is available at www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/coc/ocibc04.htm After a full consideration of all the large amount of information COC concluded that there is no convincing evidence for an association with organochlorine insecticides. The committee was aware that none of the organochlorine insecticides included in this review are approved for use in pesticide formulations in the United Kingdom but persist in the environment and exposure of the population has occurred mainly via the diet.
	It has been claimed that other environmental chemicals could have weak estrogenic activity which if added together could cause breast cancer. The World Health Organization international programme on chemical safety global assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals, published in 2002, concluded that the additive effects of such chemicals would be very weak and the available data did not support a direct association. The assessment is available at:
	www.who.int/ipcs/publications/new_issues/endocrine_disruptors/en/

Childhood Obesity

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) funded on childhood obesity since 1997; and how much each project (i) has cost and (ii) is forecast to cost.

Caroline Flint: The Government have set a national public service agreement target to halt, by 2010, the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole. The target is jointly owned by the Department of Health, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills in recognition that cross-Government action will be necessary to tackle this major public health issue.
	There are many large cross Government programmes that impact on obesity that the Department jointly funds. One example is the Healthy Schools Programme with an allocation of £16.1 million for 2006-07. We do not hold a total figure on spend on childhood obesity since 1997 but in addition to national health service spending the Department has funded a number of central initiatives to support action on obesity including:
	the Department is currently working with stakeholders to develop an obesity prevention social marketing programme for launch in early 2007. The objective will be to prevent unhealthy weight gain in children aged 2-10, by influencing their parents and carers to make healthier food choices and to increase physical activity. £5 million has been allocated to develop this work in the financial year 2006-07;
	the new Healthy Start Scheme a reform of the Welfare Food Scheme provides certain low income families with vouchers to exchange for fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula. The cost of the new Healthy Start Scheme is estimated at £130 million per annum and the scheme will be launched across the United Kingdom in November 2006;
	April £67 million between April 2001 and March 2006 on the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme;
	£3 million allocated for the period 2004-06 to provide training on obesity for primary care staff, enabling staff to develop their skills; and
	school pedometer pilots and local exercise action pilots. In excess of £3 million was allocated to these pilots in 2005-06.

Childhood Obesity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of children aged between two and 10 years who are obese; and what the estimates were for each year since 1990-91.

Caroline Flint: We are unable to provide all the data requested. The data we can give are based on estimates provided by the Health Survey for England. The table presents data on obesity in children in 1995 and 2004, the earliest and most recent years for which data are available, and all years in between.
	
		
			  Prevalence of obesity among children aged 2 to 10 by gender, 1995-2004, England 
			  Percentage 
			   Unweighted  Weighted 
			   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003( 1)  2004( 1)  2003( 1)  2004( 1) 
			 Boys 9.6 11.0 11.1 11.4 16.1 12.2 13.5 15.2 14.9 16.2 15.1 15.9 
			 Girls 10.3 10.2 10.7 11.8 13.0 11.8 12.7 15.8 12.5 11.9 12.4 12.8 
			  Bases 
			 Boys 1,261 1,418 2,007 1,336 633 570 1,035 2,364 876 416 878 5,368 
			 Girls 1,266 1,365 2,082 1,216 628 523 1,094 2,290 897 343 858 4,901 
			 (1) From 2003 data are weighted for non response. Data weighted for child selection only are provided for consistency with previous years.  Source: Health Survey for England 2004—updating of trend tables to include 2004 data, The Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Dental Care Professionals

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the General Dental Council's consultation on the new rules for dental care professionals; and what assessment she has made of the effects of the rules on denturists.

Rosie Winterton: The General Dental Council (GDC) launched a new statutory register for dental nurses and technicians including clinical dental technicians—denturists—in July 2006. The GDC is independent of Government and the consultation that preceded the setting up of the registration system was therefore a matter for GDC not the Government.
	The Government however strongly support the principle of registration. Its launch means that denturism has become a legitimate clinical activity subject to normal professional regulation. Work is under way with training institutions and representatives of clinical dental technicians to develop appropriate training courses leading to registration.

EU Food Hygiene Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to implement the revised EU food hygiene legislation that came into force on 1 January; how much has been spent on such implementation to date; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has policy responsibility for the new food hygiene regulation that came into effect on 1 January 2006, replacing and simplifying previous legislation. Enforcement of the legislation is largely through local authorities (LAs) that are provided with funds for this purpose as part of their revenue support grant.
	The board of the FSA discussed implementation of the regulation at its open meeting in March 2005 and agreed a package of additional measures to assist the food industry, focused on small businesses. Details of this discussion are available in a paper that has previously been placed in the Library of the House, and can be also found on the FSA website at: www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fsa050302.pdf.
	The main change for food businesses resulting from the new legislation is the requirement to have documented food safety management procedures in place that assure good hygiene standards so as to protect consumers. It is for businesses to make arrangements to comply with the new legislation and most larger businesses already had effective systems in place.
	In England, a support programme called "Safer Food Better Business" has been launched to help small catering and retail businesses. £11.5 million has been allocated to this programme over three years starting in September 2005. The main elements of the programme are free guidance packs for businesses along with a special grants scheme that supports LAs to provide training and advice. Up to October 2006, 175,000 packs have been distributed free of charge to businesses and 86 projects involving 254 LAs, some two-thirds of the total number have been funded, directly supporting over 52,000 small businesses.
	Grants were awarded to projects run by LAs following appraisals of applications. Appraisals were carried out by the FSA assisted by stakeholders, including the British Hospitality Association (BHA), the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) and an independent academic expert. Not all applications were successful. Between September 2005 and October 2006 just over £3.5 million had actually been spent. All figures exclude value added tax (VAT).
	Similar schemes to support businesses are in place in other countries in the United Kingdom.
	Details of the "Safer Food Better Business" grants can be found on the FSA website at: www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2006/sep/foodsafetycash.
	In addition, the new regulation applies to farmers and growers, in many cases for the first time. In England, the FSA has allocated £1.2 million excluding VAT in 2006-07 to train local authority officers to undertake this new work and to directly support inspections. This funding is likely to remain in place until arrangements have been made to provide funding through the revenue support grant from 2008-09. Plans to deliver this activity are underway from late 2006. No money had actually been spent up to October 2006.

GPs (Peterborough)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners in  (a) single and  (b) multiple practices in Peterborough constituency were (i) aged below 55 years of age and (ii) above 55 years of age on 30 September 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1)  for specified primary care trusts (PCT), as at 30 September 2005( 2) 
			  ( 1) All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)  Under 55  55 and over 
			  Total specified PCTs
			 All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(1) 124 97 27 
			 Working in single handed partnerships 8 3 5 
			 Working in group partnerships 116 94 22 
			 
			  North Peterborough PCT
			 All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(1) 59 39 20 
			 Working in single handed partnerships 5 1 4 
			 Working in group partnerships 54 38 16 
			 All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(1)
			 
			  South Peterborough PCT
			 All Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(1) 65 58 7 
			 Working in single handed partnerships 3 2 1 
			 Working in group partnerships 62 56 6 
			 (1)General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes Contracted GPs, GMS Others and PMS Others.(2)Latest available data Source:The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Infant Mortality

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of infant mortality was  (a) in England and  (b) in each English region in each year since 1997; what assessment she has made of the differences in infant mortality between different socio-economic groups; and what targets she has to reduce the level of infant mortality.

Caroline Flint: The level of infant mortality for England and for each English region for each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	Our assessment of the differences in infant mortality between different socio-economic groups reflects the infant mortality aspect of the Government's health inequalities public service agreement target which is:
	by 2010 to reduce inequalities in health outcomes by 10 per cent. as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth;
	and specifically:
	starting with children under one year, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent. the gap in mortality between routine and manual groups and the population as a whole.
	Progress on the target is reported in Tackling Health Inequalities: A Status Report on the Programme for Action. It states that despite overall improvements in infant mortality rates, the relative gap between the routine and manual groups and the population as a whole has widened since 1997-99. It was 19 per cent, in 2002-04 compared to 13 per cent, higher in the baseline period of 1997-99.
	Infant mortality rates are at an all time low and the rates among the routine and manual group continues to fall.
	Other targets that support the infant mortality target include:
	reducing adult smoking rates from 26 per cent. in 2002, to 21 per cent. or less by 2010, with a reduction in prevalence among the routine and manual groups from 31 per cent. in 2002 to 26 per cent or less;
	reducing the under-18 conception rate by 50 per cent. by 2010, as part of a broader strategy to improve sexual health.
	
		
			  Infant deaths and infant mortality rates for England and Government Office region, 1997-2005 
			   England  North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			 1997 3,568 5.9 170 5.8 554 6.7 391 6.5 274 5.7 
			 1998 3,392 5.6 145 5.0 510 6.3 412 6.9 273 5.6 
			 1999 3,375 5.7 154 5.6 517 6.5 364 6.3 282 6.0 
			 2000 3,180 5.6 171 6.5 473 6.2 410 7.3 245 5.4 
			 2001 3,040 5.4 139 5.4 439 5.8 306 5.5 220 4.9 
			 2002 2,967 5.2 125 4.8 403 5.4 340 6.1 252 5.6 
			 2003 3,139 5.3 132 4.9 456 5.9 331 5.7 279 5.9 
			 2004 3,025 5.0 126 4.5 438 5.4 347 5.8 235 4.9 
			 2005 3,078 5.0 126 4.5 474 5.8 372 6.1 229 4.7 
		
	
	
		
			   West Midlands  East  London  South East  South West 
			   Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate  Number  Rate 
			 1997 464 7.0 310 4.8 614 5.8 476 5.0 315 5.8 
			 1998 424 6.5 322 5.0 627 6.0 421 4.4 258 4.8 
			 1999 440 6.9 290 4.6 631 6.0 453 4.8 244 4.7 
			 2000 416 6.8 270 4.4 565 5.4 397 4.4 233 4.7 
			 2001 389 6.4 271 4.5 637 6.1 376 4.2 263 5.4 
			 2002 403 6.6 259 4.3 581 5.5 394 4.5 210 4.3 
			 2003 471 7.4 280 4.5 592 5.4 386 4.2 212 4.1 
			 2004 415 6.3 267 4.2 592 5.2 368 3.9 237 4.5 
			 2005 425 6.4 260 4.0 587 5.1 367 3.9 238 4.5 
			  Notes:1. Infant mortality rate is defined as deaths at ages under one year per 1,000 live births.2. Figures for 2005 are provisional Source: Key Population and Vital Statistics, Vital Statistic Tables (Office for National Statistics)

Influenza Vaccinations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in Hendon qualify for influenza vaccinations; how many doses of vaccination have been available to the NHS in Hendon in each of the last three years; how many doses have been administered by the NHS in Hendon over the same period; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: This information is not held centrally. General practitioners are responsible for ordering vaccine direct from the supplier of their choice, so the amount of patients requiring vaccine and amount of doses ordered is dependent on what local GP list sizes are and what they actually ordered.
	The following table shows the flu vaccine uptake for people over 65 in Barnet primary care trust (PCT) for the last three years:
	
		
			  Flu uptake at Barnet PCT 
			   Percentage 
			 2003-04 66 
			 2004-05 66 
			 2005-06 72

Junior Doctors

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what career advice is being provided to junior doctors regarding the changes taking place under Modernising Medical Careers.

Rosie Winterton: Junior doctors have the access to personal career advice through their postgraduate medical deanery's career advice service, which has received funding specifically for this purpose. For more general advice about the changes in specialty/general practitioner training, a comprehensive plan of events, publications, presentations and articles which will start with the launch of the new programmes by England's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, on 13 November 2006. These are planned specifically for the transitional years. In the future, NHS Careers has proposed that they offer web-based, national information to support local career advisers.

Junior Doctors

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on services caused by junior doctors taking time off to attend interviews for the new junior doctor training posts advertised from November 2006; and what steps she has taken to minimise such effects.

Rosie Winterton: Deaneries are working with trusts to establish a detailed calendar of interview dates/locations and times for the national recruitment next year.
	The national interview schedule will be made available in advance so that trainees will be able to identify the four possible dates they might be interviewed and, with this information, cover and service arrangements can be planned well in advance.
	Trainees can have a maximum of four interviews—this is a far smaller number than many trainees have had in the past and with advance planning of dates trusts will be able to manage the situation without undue disruption.

Mesothelioma

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are receiving treatment for mesothelioma in the South West of England, broken down by primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of people receiving treatment for mesothelioma is not centrally collected. Information on count of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was mesothelioma for primary care trusts in the south west of England is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was mesothelioma( 1)  for PCTs in the south west of England for 2004-05 (most recent data available) 
			  PCT name  Total episodes 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 50 
			 Bournemouth Teaching PCT 40 
			 Bristol North PCT 0 
			 Bristol South and West PCT 71 
			 Central Cornwall PCT 89 
			 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT 133 
			 Cotswold and vale PCT (2)— 
			 Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT 0 
			 East Devon PCT (2)— 
			 Exeter PCT 57 
			 Mendip PCT (2)— 
			 Mid Devon PCT (2)— 
			 North and East Cornwall PCT (2)— 
			 North Devon PCT 13 
			 North Dorset PCT 0 
			 North Somerset PCT 25 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 59 
			 Poole PCT 12 
			 Somerset Coast PCT 0 
			 South and East Dorset PCT (2)— 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 57 
			 South hams and West Devon PCT (2)— 
			 South Somerset PCT 12 
			 South West Dorset PCT 9 
			 South Wiltshire PCT 21 
			 Swindon PCT 9 
			 Taunton Deane PCT 11 
			 Teignbridge PCT 0 
			 Torbay PCT 15 
			 West of Cornwall PCT (2)— 
			 West Gloucestershire PCT 0 
			 West Wiltshire PCT 0 
			 (1 )The ICD-10 codes used in this analysis were as follows:C45 MesotheliomaD19 Benign neoplasm of mesothelial tissue.(2 )Low numbers: Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed. Notes:1. Finished consultant episode (FCE): An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.2. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).3. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis): The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) dataset and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Source:Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Multiple Myeloma

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatments are currently licensed for multiple myeloma in the UK; what treatments for multiple myeloma are currently provided by the NHS; whether thalidomide is licensed for the treatment of multiple myeloma; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Treatments licensed for the treatment of multiple myeloma are listed in the British National Formulary, which can be found at www.bnf.org.
	It will be for clinicians, in discussion with patients, to determine treatments for a patient's condition. Treatments that have been positively appraised by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) must be funded by primary care trusts within three months of publication of guidance, if the patient concerned is eligible.
	Where NICE guidance is not available, PCTs should continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence. Funding for such treatments should not be withheld simply because of an absence of guidance from NICE.
	Thalidomide for the treatment of multiple myeloma is not licensed. Thalidomide can be given to particular patients if their clinician thinks they might benefit, this is called a named patient basis, and the PCT concerned agrees to fund it. Thalidomide may also be given to people taking part in research trials.

NHS Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital expenditure there has been within the NHS in Coventry since May 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows total capital expenditure by national health service bodies in Coventry from 1998-99 to 2004-05, which are the only years for which figures are available. These figures exclude private finance initiative (PFI) and local improvement finance trust (LIFT) schemes.
	
		
			  Total capital expenditure by NHS bodies in Coventry 
			   Expenditure 
			 1998-99 21,626,000 
			 1999-2000 8,203,000 
			 2000-01 9,871,000 
			 2001-02 12,838,000 
			 2002-03 8,181,000 
			 2003-04 21,105,000 
			 2004-05 22,516,000 
			  Sources:Audited accounts of Coventry health authority 1998-99 to 2001-02Audited summarisation schedules of Coventry teaching primary care trust 2002-03 to 2004-05Audited summarisation schedules of Walsgrave hospital NHS trust 1998-99 and 1999-2000Audited summarisation schedules of university hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS trust 2000-01 to 2004-05Audited summarisation schedules of Coventry healthcare NHS trust 1998-99 to 2001-02Audited summarisation schedules of Coventry and Warwickshire ambulance NHS trust 2003-04 and 2004-05 
		
	
	The following table shows capital expenditure on PFI and LIFT schemes by Coventry teaching PCT from 2003-04 to 2006-07. These figures were obtained from NHS West Midlands.
	
		
			  Coventry teaching primary care trust—capital expenditure on LIFT/PFI 
			   LIFT  PFI 
			  2003-04   
			 LIFT Enabling Funds—Purchase of Land and Associated Costs 1,020,212 — 
			
			  2004-05   
			 PFI Residual Interest — 159,000 
			 LIFT Enabling Funds—Purchase GP Premises 874,815 — 
			 MHU—PFI Equipment (including Car Park Barrier) — 203,593 
			 MHU—PFI IT Equipment — 111,603 
			 MHU—Boundary Fence — 11,620 
			 MHU—Pharmacy (Library Option) — 13,591 
			
			  2005-06   
			 PFI Residual Interest — 165,000 
			 Purchase of LIFT Co Equity 130,462 — 
			 Longford Furniture and Equipment 120,500 — 
			 Keresley Furniture and Equipment 20,964 — 
			 Longford Switchboard 33,591 — 
			 MHU—PFI IT Equipment (Library Management System) — 10,000 
			
			  2006-07 (to 26 October 2006)   
			 PFI Residual Interest — 171,000 
			
			 Total 2,200,544 845,407 
		
	
	In addition, the new £400 million Walsgrave hospital PFI opened in Coventry in July 2006.

Non-governmental Public Bodies

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) administration costs and  (b) total number of staff of (i) the Healthcare Commission, (ii) the Commission for Social Care Inspection, (iii) the Office of the Independent Regulator of Foundation Trusts and (iv) the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency were in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows.
	The administrative costs for:
	
		
			   £ million 
			  Healthcare Commission  
			 2003-04 (1)— 
			 2004-05 68.994 
			 2005-06 67.888 
			  Commission for Social Care Inspection  
			 2003-04 109.86 
			 2004-05 112.771 
			 2005-06 99.07 
			   
			  Office of the Independent Regulator of Foundation Trusts  
			 2003-04 3.408 
			 2004-05 14.81 
			 2005-06 15.879 
			   
			  Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency  
			 2003-04 11.983 
			 2004-05 10.982 
			 2005-06 10.982 
			 (1) The Healthcare Commission was not in existence 
		
	
	The total number of staff expressed as whole time equivalents for:
	
		
			   Whole time equivalents 
			  Healthcare Commission  
			 2003-04 (1)— 
			 2004-05 771 
			 2005-06 771 
			   
			  Commission for Social Care Inspection  
			 2003-04 2,589 
			 2004-05 2,622 
			 2005-06 2,492 
			   
			  Office of the Independent Regulator of Foundation Trusts  
			 2003-04 2 
			 2004-05 33 
			 2005-06 51 
			   
			  Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency  
			 2003-04 747 
			 2004-05 806 
			 2005-06 827 
			 (1) The Healthcare Commission was not in existence

PCT Budgets

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Haringey Primary Care Trust's budget is; and what its original allocation was for 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 30 October 2006
	In 2006-07, the revenue allocation to Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust was £346.3 million.
	The overall financial position is managed by strategic health authorities (SHAs), who take the lead locally in developing and implementing a service and financial strategy for managing the financial position within their locality. As part of this management, SHAs can hold a reserve on behalf of their organisations to manage the overall financial position within their area. The size of any primary care trust (PCT) contribution to this reserve is a matter for local agreement between the SHA and the PCT, but the process is based on fairness. A PCT which makes a contribution, will be entitled to have that contribution repaid within a period which does not normally exceed the three year allocation cycle.

Sheffield Primary Care Trust

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people applied in the second round for the chairmanship of the new amalgamated Sheffield Primary Care Trust; how many were short listed; and whether the person specification required knowledge of, demonstrable commitment to, and previous experience of public service;
	(2)  how many individuals applied for appointment as a non-executive board member of the new combined primary care trust in Sheffield; how many were short listed; whether the job specification required knowledge of, demonstrable commitment to, and previous experience of public service; and how many of the non-executive board members of the Sheffield Primary Care Trust live in the Brightside constituency.

Rosie Winterton: The appointment of chairs and non-executive members of primary care trusts has been delegated to the Appointments Commission. Appointments are made against the person specification agreed by Ministers, copies of which have been placed in the Library. I have asked the Commission's chair, Sir William Wells, to respond to my right hon. Friend's specific questions.

Waiting Times

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for orthodontic treatment for  (a) juveniles and  (b) adults in (i) North West Cambridgeshire and (ii) England in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: The average waiting times for an out-patient appointment following general practitioner referral for the orthodontic specialty are shown in the tables. Figures are shown for England and for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire strategic health authority.
	Waiting times figures are unable to be calculated by age group.
	
		
			  Mean and median waits for 1( st)  out-patient appointment following GP referral Orthodontic specialty, England and Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 
			  Weeks 
			   England  Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 
			   Median  Mean  Median  Mean 
			 June 1997 10.8 16.9 15.0 22.4 
			  March 
			 1998 12.4 17.8 20.0 26.6 
			 1999 12.8 19.7 20.3 26.9 
			 2000 14.5 21.1 23.1 30.3 
			 2001 11.3 17.5 32.6 36.7 
			 2002 11.6 17.3 35.0 38.1 
			 2003 10.3 10.8 11.8 12.0 
			 2004 9.5 9.7 10.9 11.1 
			 2005 8.8 8.9 11.1 10.8 
			 2006 7.9 8.0 7.9 7.9 
			  Note: Median and mean figures estimated from aggregate data Source: QM08R commissioner based return from primary care trusts/health authorities

Middle East

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the Prime Minister's recent visit to the Middle East; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: During my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit to Israel and the Occupied Territories on 9-10 September, he discussed the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government with President Abbas on 10 September. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear our readiness to work with any Government pursuing a programme based on the three Quartet principles—recognition of Israel, commitment to agreements previously signed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Palestinian Authority with Israel, and renunciation of violence.
	He also met Israeli Prime Minister Olmert on 10 September. They discussed the conflict in Lebanon and the way forward for the Middle East Peace Process.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stressed that we need
	"to get to the point where we have a political process in place that allows us to deal with the issues to do with economic reconstruction, to do with institutions, to do with security, and also to make sure that as you say the rights of the Palestinian people to a decent and full life are properly respected".
	In this context, he welcomed both President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert agreeing to meet without any pre-conditions.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister visited Lebanon on 11 September as a demonstration of his support for Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora's Government and his commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701. During that visit he announced the UK's commitment of £40 million to Lebanon this year, including on humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. He also offered UK assistance for the training and equipping of the Lebanese armed forces to enable them to extend their control throughout the whole of Lebanon. And he gave his personal commitment to re-energising the Israel/Palestine peace process for the benefit of the region as a whole.
	I also refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial Statements my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made to the House on 13 September 2006,  Official Report, columns 128-130WS and 10 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 14-16WS.

Middle East

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the UK Government have taken following the Israeli Defence Force's transfer of the Rachel Tomb neighbourhood to the Israeli civilian authority at Jerusalem.

Kim Howells: We have taken no specific action relating to the Israel Defence Force's transfer of the Rachel's Tomb neighbourhood to the Israeli civilian authority, but we raised our concerns, at official level, about the serious impact on the citizens of Bethlehem of Rachel's Tombs' inclusion in the barrier. We believe the barrier's route should be on or behind the Green Line, and not on occupied territory. Construction of the barrier on Palestinian land is illegal. We also remain concerned by settlement activity in and around the area surrounding Rachel's Tomb. We will continue to raise our concerns about this area with the Israeli Government.

European Parliament

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Minister for Europe has had with Members of the European Parliament on the co-decision procedure.

Margaret Beckett: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Geoff Hoon, discusses a full range of EU issues with Members of the European Parliament. The co-decision procedure features in these discussions as appropriate. And, of course, there are a number of important dossiers subject to the co-decision procedure, such as the Services Directive, which have also been raised with EP colleagues.

North Korea

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the developments in the North Korean ballistic weapons programme.

Margaret Beckett: The multiple missile launches carried out by North Korea on 4 and 5 July included short range Scud, medium range No-Dong missiles, and a failed test of an Taepo-Dong II missile Intercontinental Ballistic Missile/Satellite Launch Vehicle. As a result of these missile launches, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1695 which demanded
	"that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme, and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launching".
	UN Security Resolution 1718 of 14 October, following North Korea's claimed nuclear test on 9 October, underlined that resolution. We have no new information on the development of North Korea's missile programme, but we cannot rule out any further tests by them.

North Korea

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on North Korea's nuclear programme.

Geoff Hoon: North Korea's claim of a nuclear test on 9 October has only added to our concerns over its nuclear programme, which came to the fore following North Korea's expulsion of the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in December 2002 and its statement of intention to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) in January 2003. Its actions jeopardise regional stability in North East Asia and pose a clear threat to international peace and security. We welcome the measures set out in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1718 and we will report back to the Security Council, by 13 December, on how we intend to implement them.
	North Korea's test contravenes its commitments under the NPT, breaches the North-South Joint Declaration on the Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, and ignores UNSCR 1695. It also runs counter to the spirit of the September 2005 Declaration to which North Korea has signed up.

Afghanistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1271W, on Afghanistan, what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK's counter-narcotics activities in Afghanistan.

Margaret Beckett: As Afghanistan's partner nation on counter narcotics the UK is spending £270 million over three years in support of the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy. This year's increase in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is very disappointing and reflects the difficult security situation and limited law enforcement capability in some provinces particularly in the south. However, the cultivation picture varies between, and within provinces, and in some areas where access to governance, security and development has improved, reductions achieved last year have been sustained and in some cases fallen. This is encouraging and shows that the strategy is working. Progress is also being made in other areas. Vital counter narcotics legislation was passed last December; over 280 traffickers have been convicted to date; and a high security prison for serious drug offenders has been constructed in Kabul. To support alternative livelihoods over 12 million labour days have been provided; 8,800 km of roads rehabilitated, and US$187million in small grants and US$90 million in micro-finance loans have been disbursed.

Afghanistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account she plans to take of the opium production reducing operations in the Golden Triangle in formulating counter-narcotics policy in Afghanistan.

Margaret Beckett: Experience in the Golden Triangle demonstrates the need to adopt a comprehensive and long-term approach to counter narcotics in order to have a sustainable impact on the drugs trade. In developing its National Drug Control Strategy, the Afghan Government has had regular contact with the Thai authorities, whose holistic opium reduction strategy is considered to be one of the most successful in the world. The Thai strategy focuses on law enforcement, building infrastructure to support development, providing alternative livelihoods and demand reduction. Similarly the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy, which the UK supports, reflects these key priorities. However, sustainable drug elimination strategies take time, particularly when the challenges are as severe as they are in Afghanistan. In Thailand, where the problem was much less complex, cultivation increased before the strategy took effect and it took 30 years to achieve a sustainable solution.

Afghanistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team in delivering political, development and military assistance to the province.

Margaret Beckett: The UK's Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Helmand is focused on developing Afghan local capacity in development, security and governance, and is helping administer the £20 million the UK has pledged towards the province's reconstruction this financial year. Since the UK took over the PRT in May we have seen early progress on these three fronts, with PRT officials delivering valuable assistance in a challenging environment.
	Development is necessarily a long-term activity. However, the PRT, in close co- ordination with local and national Government, is laying the foundations for lasting reconstruction. To this end, in the past six months the PRT has implemented a number of "quick impact projects". These include construction of windmill powered wells in Lashkar Gah, Garmser and Nad-Ali; construction of schools in Nahri Sarj, Now Zad and Lashkar Gah; urgent water infrastructure works in Lashkar Gah; and emergency food distribution across southern Helmand. The Royal Engineer regiment based in the PRT is playing a key role in delivering this development assistance across the province.
	On security, the PRT has undertaken projects to strengthen and reorganise the Helmand police force. In addition the Royal Engineers, at the request of the provincial Government, have undertaken projects aimed at strengthening the security infrastructure in Lashkar Gah. These include the construction of vehicle checkpoints and Afghan national police outposts around Lashkar Gah. On governance, PRT officials are working with Helmand's provincial Government to strengthen provincial level democracy. The PRT have helped the Provincial Development Committee prioritise its efforts in line with national plans, enabling Afghan-led reconstruction efforts to get off the ground. The PRT continues to provide vital support to the administration.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the Entity of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik's calls for a referendum on the Entity's secession from Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Recent calls for a referendum on secession for the Republika Srpska by Prime Minister Milorad Dodik as part of the election campaign are anti-Dayton, unconstitutional and unacceptable. We have emphasised that the Dayton Accords remain the basis for sovereignty, which clearly established the Republika Srpska as an entity within the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, (Mr. Hoon) raised this issue most recently when he met Prime Minister Milorad Dodik on 25 July.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for closing down the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia Herzegovina; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: At its meeting on 22-23 June 2006, the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council agreed that the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina should begin preparations to close on 30 June 2007. This decision will be subject to final review and confirmation in February 2007, to take into account the domestic and regional situations before closure goes ahead.

Burma

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions are imposed by the Government on UK companies seeking to trade with Burma.

Kim Howells: The Government have a long-standing policy of discouraging British firms from trading with or investing in Burma. We offer no support to companies wishing to trade with Burma or for those who want to invest there. British companies who enquire about trade with Burma are informed of the grave political situation, the regime's atrocious record on human rights and the country's dire economic prospects. Through the EU's Common Position on Burma all EU companies are prevented from investing in named state owned enterprises. The EU has removed trade preferences for products imported from Burma.

Council of Ministers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it her policy to make available for publication in the  Official Report A List agendas prior to the meeting of the relevant Council of Ministers meeting.

Geoff Hoon: The publication of 'A'-List items is the responsibility of the Council Secretariat within the provisions of the Access to Document Regulation (EC No. 1049/2001). The agenda items are already published on the Council Secretariat website before the meeting on the following website at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=:::549&lang=EN&mode=g. (Typing 'List of "A" items' in the search engine will reveal all 'A'-List agenda items).

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of vacancies in her Department in the last 12 months required candidates to have at least a grade C in  (a) English and  (b) mathematics GCSE.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advertised for 382 permanent positions in the last 12 months. Of these vacancies, 162 (42 per cent.) specifically required at least a GCSE grade C in Mathematics and 268 (70 per cent.) at least a GCSE grade C in English language. Of the 114 positions where no such specific requirement was made, 73 required higher educational qualifications or professional qualifications. For the remaining 41 positions, candidates were required to posses relevant experience or demonstrable competences. Examples of such positions include web editor and help desk officers.

Korea

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the United Kingdom is taking as one of the United Nations guarantor powers to stop incursions along the demilitarised zone on the Korean Peninsular.

Kim Howells: The demilitarized zone continues to be supervised by the UN Command Military Armistice Commission under the Korean War Armistice Agreement of 1953. As a member of the UN Command, the UK continues to monitor violations of the Armistice Agreement.

Palestinian Authority

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role of the UK has been in implementing International Community Commitments under the March 2005 London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority.

Margaret Beckett: Since the London Meeting in March 2005, the UK has taken a number of steps to implement the International Community Commitments. The Palestinian Authority (PA) also had a number of Commitments to implement in parallel. These Commitments include action to address economic development, governance and security. The UK has been encouraging international partners to implement the International Community Commitments.
	With regards to economic development, in December 2005 the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee, co-chaired by the UK and Norway, met in London. Also in December 2005, HM Treasury held a private sector business/ investment event.
	Under the UK's Presidency of the EU, an international crossing point at Rafah was opened. The UK was closely involved in the negotiations. Our total financial contribution to the EU Border Assistance Mission at Rafah is £913,000. This financial contribution includes personnel, equipment and financial contribution. Also, the UK seconded a member of staff to the UN Office for the Co-ordination for Humanitarian Affairs to identify physical obstacles to movement in the West Bank which can be removed.
	On governance, we provided over £200,000 worth of assistance for the Palestinian elections which were held on 25 January. In particular we worked with the electoral authorities to support work on media monitoring, training local journalists and funding the ballot papers. In addition, as well as supporting the official EU monitoring observation mission, we also separately funded a small parliamentary observation visit to the region organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
	The Department for International Development provided long-term assistance to the PA for the design and implementation of its Public Administration and Civil Service Support Programme. This included work on strengthening Cabinet policy-making, reviewing the mandates and institutional structures of all PA agencies, and assisting with the Medium Term Development Plan. Direct engagement with the PA has been suspended since the formation of the Hamas-led government, although work is ongoing with a range of partner civil society organisations active in this field.
	On security, the EU expanded its police support mission, EU Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EU COPPS), in January 2006, to help transform the Palestinian police and make it more accountable to the Palestinian Ministry of Interior. Through EU COPPS, the UK has helped to: support the PA in reforming its civil policing structures; improve the effectiveness, efficiency and image of 18,600 police officers; rebuild and modernise police facilities; purchase 54 police cars; provide training and equipment and co-ordinate better the international donor community's support for the Palestinian police.
	Since the Hamas led PA came to power, there has been limited progress against both the International Community Commitments and the PA Commitments.

Palestinian Authority

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in implementing International Community Commitments agreed under the March 2005 London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority in the areas of  (a) economy,  (b) governance and  (c) security.

Margaret Beckett: Since 1 March 2005, the International Community has made some progress against their commitments made at the London Meeting. The UK has been involved in much of the work that the International Community has done to make progress against these commitments. I refer the right hon. Member to the written answer I gave him today (UIN 95350).
	In terms of economic development, in June 2005 G8 leaders supported the former Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn's intention to stimulate a global financial contribution of up to US$3 billion per year over the coming three years. Also, on 15 November 2005, the EU High Representative Javier Solana, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and James Wolfensohn announced an Agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians on Movement and Access.
	On security, United States Security Co-ordinator General Ward and his successor, General Dayton, have been working closely with the Palestinians on Security Sector Reform (SSR). Since March 2005 progress has been made including developing capacity within the Ministry of Interior, establishing international co-ordination mechanisms for SSR and developing consensus around an SSR approach, and facilitating an upgrade of the Palestinian security forces' capability. Following the election of Hamas, the international community suspended previous security sector work. Since then General Dayton has been developing a range of plans, which the international community can implement in the current political circumstances, and which will deliver tangible improvements in day-to-day lives of Palestinians. We have been working closely with General Dayton's team on these plans. Donors, including ourselves, are looking at funding options.
	With regards to governance, the EU, as well as other international partners, provided support to the Palestinian Legislative Council elections on 25 January.
	Since Hamas came to power, and failed to meet the three Quartet principles (renouncing violence; recognise Israel; and accept all previous agreements and obligations including the Roadmap), work on meeting the International Community Commitments has slowed. We, along with our international partners, want to see a Palestinian government with which we can engage and do business.

Rwanda

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the UN requesting an urgent investigation into allegations by the former Rwandan ambassador to France regarding France's role in the Rwandan genocide.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 30 October 2006
	In 1999, the United Nations conducted a comprehensive investigation into the Rwanda genocide of 1994 and the actions taken at the time by the international community. The United Kingdom welcomed the Secretary-General's resulting recommendations. With respect to recent allegations by the former Rwandan ambassador to France, we understand investigations are underway in Rwanda.

Sudan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made  (a) by her and  (b) on her behalf to the Government of Sudan regarding the government military offensive in Darfur.

Margaret Beckett: In mid-August the Government of Sudan began a military offensive targeting rebel militias and non-signatories of the Darfur Peace Agreement. We made immediate representations to the Government of Sudan in Khartoum, and to senior Sudanese officials, to halt the offensive. I raised my concerns about the offensive with the Egyptian Government and the League of Arab States during a visit to Egypt on 7 September. They have subsequently engaged the Government of Sudan to raise these concerns.
	During the UN General Assembly ministerial week in New York from 18 to 22 September, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, other Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and I raised with African, Arab, Security Council and other Foreign Ministers the need for concerted action by the international community to halt the Sudanese military offensive, secure the deployment of a UN force, and to ensure a political solution in Darfur. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) raised the need for such action by the Government of Sudan with Sudanese Presidential Adviser Dr. Ghazi Salaheddin, when they met on 21 September. European Commission President Barroso also delivered this message during a call on President Bashir when he visited on 30 September. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) is planning a visit to Sudan later this month and we will continue to make such representations directly through our embassy in Khartoum.

Sudan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what areas have been identified for the enhancing of the capability and resources of the African Union Mission in Darfur; and what role is planned for the UK.

Margaret Beckett: The UK is a leading supporter of the African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS). We were its first donor, and have to date provided £52 million of assistance. This has been used for budgetary support, vehicles and other equipment, and to airlift troops to and from Darfur. The African Union has now decided to increase the strength of AMIS by two battalions (approximately 1,200 men). We stand ready to assist them in this. Meanwhile, at our urging, the UN is helping to bolster AMIS prior to any transition to a UN force. The UN will provide much needed planning and logistics capability with the deployment of 163 staff officers to assist the military and civilian police wings of AMIS as well as its senior management. The UN will provide a further 36 armoured personnel carriers and a range of other equipment to help improve AMIS effectiveness. We are looking at what personnel the United Kingdom can provide to the UN assistance package.

Turkey

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Turkish Government on the conflict in the Kurdish areas of eastern Turkey.

Margaret Beckett: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Geoff Hoon, discussed terrorism during his visit to Turkey in September. The UK and EU both consider the PKK a terrorist organisation. The Government deplored the PKK's 2004 decision to resume their campaign of violence and terrorism, and the numerous deaths (including British) which followed right across Turkey.
	On 1 October the PKK announced another "ceasefire", excluding defensive actions. Clashes with Turkish security forces have diminished but not halted.

Cannabis

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) adults and  (b) young offenders were (i) reprimanded for, (ii) received a final warning for and (iii) charged with possession of cannabis in each year between 2002 and 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Available information relates to the number of persons aged 18 and over in England and Wales cautioned, receiving formal warnings (since April 2004) or found guilty under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 of unlawfully possessing cannabis between 2002 and 2004. The number of reprimands and warnings, which replaced cautions for persons aged under 18 in selected areas of England and Wales on 30 September 1998, are also given for 2003 and 2004.
	
		
			  Number of persons (a) aged 18 and over (b) aged under 18 cautioned or found guilty of unlawfully possessing cannabis, England and Wales, 2002 to 2004 
			   2002  2003  2004 
			  (a) Persons aged 18 and over
			 Cautions 28,941 29,209 15,214 
			 Formal warnings (1)— (1)— 27,520 
			 Found guilty 31,234 33,995 18,850 
			 
			  (b) Persons aged under 18
			 Reprimands (2)8,869 6,220 4,769 
			 Warnings (2)— 2,705 2,544 
			 Found guilty 4,997 5,367 4,111 
			 (1) Formal warnings data for cannabis possession have been available since April 2004. Those aged 18 and over who are caught in simple possession of cannabis can be eligible for a police formal warning which would not involve an arrest. Police issued 27,520 formal warnings between April and December 2004.  (2) Separate figures for reprimands and warnings not available for 2002.

Child Trafficking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has undertaken best interests assessments of all trafficked children.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration Nationality Directorate seeks to safeguard the welfare of all children subject to immigration control in cooperation with the relevant authorities. The best interests of all children, including unaccompanied children who may have been trafficked, are taken into account as part of this process.

Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 15 June, 24 July and 19 September 2006 to the Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate concerning Mrs. Taylor, a constituent of the hon. Member.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 16 October 2006
	The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) wrote to the hon. Member for Walsall, North on 12 October 2006.

Crime Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of crime there were  (a) in total,  (b) in each police authority area and  (c) in each local authority area in each of the last 25 years.

Tony McNulty: The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a national victimisation survey covering crime in England and Wales since 1981. Estimates of victimisation by police force area have been available through the BCS only since 2001-02. Figures are reported annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 'Crime in England and Wales'.
	There is no figure for the overall numbers of victims as certain crimes are against households (such as burglary or some forms of vandalism) and thus affect an undefined number of people. This is true both of police recorded crime and BCS figures. The best indicator is therefore given by the number of incidents of crime in England and Wales estimated by the BCS which are shown in the attached table going back to 1981. The estimates of prevalence for each police force area from 2001-02 to 2005-06 can be found within the web pages devoted to each of the annual Crime in England and Wales statistical bulletins (incident estimates are not available by police force area). The figures cannot be broken down by local authority area.
	2005-06 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0506.html
	2004-05 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0405.html
	2003-04 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0304.html
	2002-03 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0203.html
	2001-02 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew1.html
	The estimate of victimisation in England and Wales is now at the lowest level it has been since 1981, and has fallen by 44 per cent. since its peak in 1995. The number of crimes in England and Wales in 2005-06 is estimated as 10,912,000, 8.4 million fewer crimes than in 1995.
	
		
			  Trends in incidents of crime in England and Wales, 1981 to 2005-06 BCS 
			  Year( 1)  All BCS crime (thousand)  Unweighted base( 2) 
			 1981 11,041 10,905 
			 1983 11,913 11,030 
			 1987 13,387 10,392 
			 1991 15,142 10,059 
			 1993 18,483 14,520 
			 1995 19,351 16,337 
			 1997 16,712 14,937 
			 1999 15,015 19,398 
			 2001-02 12,618 32,787 
			 2002-03 12,341 36,450 
			 2003-04 11,725 37,891 
			 2004-05 10,850 45,069 
			 2005-06 10,912 47,729 
			 (1) In 2001-02 the BCS moved to a continuous format and estimates are reported for interviews conducted in each financial year based on crimes experienced in the 12 months prior to interview.(2) The BCS is a sample survey of adults resident in private households and the unweighted base gives the number of adults interviewed on which estimates are based.

EU Travel Bans

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005,  Official Report, column 1747W, on EU travel bans, what estimate he has made of the cost of collecting information on those who may have entered the UK in breach of an EU travel ban; what travel bans are in operation from other bodies; whether individuals in breach of an EU travel ban have been  (a) arrested and  (b) deported in the UK; who has entered the UK since 1997 under international immunity but in breach of an EU travel ban; whether individuals subject to an EU travel ban are permitted to transit via the UK; what Government policy is on action to be taken when an individual is located in the UK in breach of an EU travel ban; and what representations he has received on visits to the UK by people subject to EU travel bans.

Liam Byrne: A person subject to an EU travel ban is excluded from the UK and details of all those individuals included on a travel ban are entered on the Home Office watch list. That watch list is used by staff overseas and at UK ports to identify those people who should not be admitted to the UK. A person who entered the UK by deception and so in breach of a travel ban would be treated as an illegal entrant and be subject to removal. We have no record of any individual who is subject to a travel ban being identified in the UK and being either arrested or deported.
	The UK is only party to EU and UN travel bans and the enabling immigration legislation only allows the Secretary of State to designate EU or UN travel bans. Such designation has the effect of making individuals subject to such bans automatically excluded from the UK under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.
	There is no international immunity from the effects of an EU travel ban. I can also confirm that individuals subject to an EU travel ban are not permitted to transit the UK.
	The Home Office has not received any representations from people subject to EU travel bans. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received only one formal representation but does-receive a number of informal, and not centrally recorded, representations from those who are subject to EU travel bans.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Immigration and Nationality Directorate did not meet its 20 day target response time in respect of inquiries from hon. Members in each of the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The published target is to answer 95 per cent. of Members' letters on Immigration and Nationality Directorate—related matters within 20 working days. Although we still have some way to go to achieve that standard, performance has none the less already improved significantly from 34 per cent. in 2004 to 76 per cent. for the period September 2005 to August 2006, the latest period for which figures are available.

Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006; and what recent representations he has received about the operation of that Act.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 received Royal Assent on 31 March 2006.
	We are carrying out a phased commencement of the Act. Managing the sections which have still to be commenced are linked to the implementation of the new Points Based Scheme and the e-Borders Programme.
	Representations on individual provisions of the Act are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Miscarriages of Justice

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for  (a) ex gratia payments of compensation from public funds for miscarriages of justice there have been since 1976 and  (b) payments under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 there have been since its inception; how many such cases were decided by the assessors in each year; what the date was of each assessment; how much compensation was awarded in each case; how each award was made up; how much in legal costs was awarded in each case, broken down by type of cost; what the reasons were for the award of costs in each case; what the administrative costs, including fees and other benefits payable to the assessor, were in respect of each case; and what length of time was taken in each case (i) from receipt of the application to the assessment of eligibility, (ii) from acceptance of eligibility to assessment of compensation and (iii) from assessment of compensation to the payment of compensation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The full information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, or by divulging details of individual awards. However, the following table gives information for the last five financial years regarding the number of applications for compensation in respect of miscarriages of justice, the number granted under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, the number granted under the discretionary scheme, and the total spent on compensation for miscarriages of justice. Until the abolition of the ex gratia scheme on 19 April this year, all applications were considered under both the statutory and ex gratia schemes.
	
		
			  Miscarriage of justice compensation applications and expenditure 
			   Number of applications  Number granted under s133( 1)  Number granted under ex gratia( 2)  Total spend (£ million)( 3) 
			 2001-02 101 17 10 6.17 
			 2002-03 99 25 11 8.12 
			 2003-04 104 27 8 6.25 
			 2004-05 88 39 8 6.44 
			 2005-06 74 21 6 8.27 
			 (1 )Applications are not necessarily granted in the same year as the application is made, nor finalised in the same year that eligibility is approved.(2 )See footnote 1.(3 )This includes interim payments and payment of legal and other costs.

Miscarriages of Justice

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken into the schemes relating to ex gratia payments from public funds or under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 of compensation for miscarriages of justice since 1997; when each such review was undertaken; and who undertook each one;
	(2)  what consultation has taken place on compensation and other redress for victims of miscarriages of justice, their relatives and campaigners since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The former Home Secretary, and any supporting Ministers, approved all cases for eligibility under the schemes. They are therefore well placed to keep the arrangements under continuous and careful review. On 19 April the former Home Secretary announced some changes to the arrangements on 9 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 15-17WS. The further changes that are planned will require primary legislation and will therefore be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and debate.

Prisons

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prisoners escaped or absconded from  (a) Category A,  (b) Category B,  (c) Category C and  (d) Category D prisons in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many prisoners absconded from  (a) category A,  (b) category B,  (c) category C and  (d) category D prisons in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table details escapes from prisons by category of prison and absconds that occurred during the last five financial years.
	Escapes only apply to closed establishments, absconds only apply to open, category D, prisons. Although a small number of absconds have been recorded from closed establishments when category D prisoners have absconded when working outside the prison.
	
		
			  Escapes and absconds from prisons between 2001 to 2006 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Function  Escapes  Absconds  Escapes  Absconds  Escapes  Absconds  Escapes  Absconds  Escapes  Absconds 
			 Category B 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Category C 6 11 2 18 3 5 10 6 3 2 
			 Dispersal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Male Local 3 8 3 9 3 10 1 9 0 2 
			 Female Open 0 22 0 12 0 32 0 14 0 18 
			 Male Juvenile 0 2 0 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 
			 Male Closed YOI 1 4 0 3 4 3 0 0 0 0 
			 Semi Open 0 36 0 8 0 33 0 11 0 3 
			 Female Local 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Female Closed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Male Open 0 562 0 742 0 1,086 0 739 0 579 
			 Male Open YOI 0 135 0 152 0 130 0 90 0 105 
			 Total 15 781 5 947 10 1,301 12 870 3 709 
			 Data are based on the current set of establishment functions.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place in  (a) prisons and  (b) other custodial institutions to prevent self harm and suicide being committed by inmates; when he last reviewed such provisions; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 30 October 2006
	Prison Service Order 2700 (current version issued in November 2002) sets out the procedures for suicide prevention and self-harm management in the Prison Service in England and Wales. This is available on the internet at http://pso.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/PSO_2700_suicide_and_self_harm_prevention.doc. PSO 2700 is currently being revised to incorporate learning from the Safer Locals Programme (2001-05), learning from death in custody investigation reports, and recent safer custody initiatives, including the introduction of ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork—the new care-planning system for at-risk prisoners). The revised PSO is planned to be issued in 2007.
	Detention Services within immigration have traditionally adopted similar suicide/self-harm prevention strategies to the Prison Service, and are currently implementing a version of the ACCT system.
	Each facility within the secure psychiatric services estate has its own self-harm and suicide prevention policies, which are informed by guidance issued by the National Institute for Mental Health in 2003, "Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Mental Health Services."
	Youth Justice Board (YJB) contracts with Secure Children's Homes (SCHs) and Secure Training Centres (STCs) stipulate that risks of self-harm and suicide must be treated seriously and responded to. The YJB monitors Suicide and Self Harm (SASH) plans and policies to ensure they are reviewed and updated. Custodial staff are expected to demonstrate an understanding of SASH policies and practices, that SASH review meetings are programmed and that risks of self-harm are considered during the initial assessment stage following admission and in every subsequent review and planning meeting. The Commission of Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI) carries out announced and unannounced inspections each year to monitor how SCHs and STCs are adhering to statutory regulations and national minimum standards issued by the Department of Health.
	Guidance relating to the risk of self-harm and suicide posed by individuals detained in police custody is contained in the "Guidance on the Safer Detention and Handling of Persons," which was published on 8 February 2006.

Probation Service

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants in England and Wales are under the supervision of the Probation Service; and how many probation officers there are to provide such supervision.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 26 October 2006
	As at 31 December 2005 there were 224,094 people being supervised by the Probation Service in England and Wales.
	As at 31 December 2005, based on a full-time equivalent calculation of staff numbers, some 12,715 probation staff were involved in supervision, of whom 6,173 were probation officers.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figure may not be accurate to that level.

Road Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists have been  (a) cautioned,  (b) charged and  (c) successfully prosecuted in each of the last five years for (i) being under the influence of illegal drugs, (ii) being above the legal alcoholic limit and (iii) using a mobile telephone while cycling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of cautions, prosecutions, and convictions for the number of cyclists being under the influence of drugs and alcohol, in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004 can be found in the following tables. It is not possible to separately identify the number of cyclists cautioned, prosecuted, or convicted, while under the influence of either drink or drugs.
	A regulation prohibiting the use of mobile phones while driving came into force on 1 December 2003. The regulation does not apply to cyclists, although the police have powers to deal with careless or dangerous cycling.
	The number of cyclists cautioned, proceeded against and convicted for cycling dangerously can be found in the following tables.
	It is not possible to identify cases where people have been charged, as this information is not held centrally by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. While the Home Office does collect data on those recorded crime offences which are dealt with by means of a charge or summons, the offences asked for in this PQ are summary and do not form part of the recorded crime series.
	
		
			  Number of persons cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates courts, or found guilty at all courts, for certain pedal cycling offences in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004( 1, 2) 
			Cautions 
			  Statute  Offence description  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 section 28 Dangerous riding by pedal cyclist 9 4 2 7 3 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 section 30 Pedal cyclist riding under the influence of drink or drugs 20 9 10 7 14 
			 Total  29 13 12 14 17 
		
	
	
		
			Prosecutions( 3) 
			  Statute  Offence description  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 section 28 Dangerous riding by pedal cyclist 29 30 27 21 37 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 section 30 Pedal cyclist riding under the influence of drink or drugs 70 46 44 55 45 
			 Total  99 76 71 76 82 
		
	
	
		
			Found guilty( 3) 
			  Statute  Offence description  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 section 28 Dangerous riding by pedal cyclist 23 19 18 18 32 
			 Road Traffic Act 1988 section 30 Pedal cyclist riding under the influence of drink or drugs 58 38 38 43 40 
			 Total  81 57 56 61 72 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.(3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. Source:RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Road Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists have been  (a) cautioned,  (b) charged and  (c) successfully prosecuted for using (i) noisy exhaust systems and (ii) loud stereo systems in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on drivers charged with motoring offences is not collected centrally.
	Available data on written warnings (including cautions) and prosecutions for noise offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regs. 54-58, 97-99 combined, from 2000 to 2004 (latest available), are provided in the following tables.
	2005 data will be available early in 2007.
	
		
			  Table A: Written warnings( 1)  for noise offences( 2) : England and Wales: 2000 to 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 2000 158 
			 2001 148 
			 2002 153 
			 2003 99 
			 2004 71 
			 (1) Includes cautions for the offence.(2) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regs. 54-58 and 97-99. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Proceedings at magistrates courts and findings of guilt at all courts for noise offences( 1) : England and Wales, 2000 to 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt 
			 2000 4,616 3,334 
			 2001 3,688 2,636 
			 2002 3,221 2,272 
			 2003 2,653 1,807 
			 2004 2,048 1,479 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regs. 54-58 and 97-99. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Road Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists were  (a) cautioned and  (b) charged for (i) going through red lights and (ii) cycling in the dark without lights in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not possible to identify the number of cyclists cautioned for traffic light offences in England and Wales, as this offence is grouped with a range of other cycling offences and cannot be separated.
	The number of cyclists cautioned, or prosecuted, for cycling without lights can be found in the following table.
	It is not possible to identify cases where people have been charged, as this information is not held centrally by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Whilst the Home Office does collect data on those recorded crime offences which are dealt with by means of a charge or summons, the offences asked for in this PQ are summary and do not form part of the recorded crime series.
	Court proceedings data for 2005 will be available in November 2006.
	
		
			  Number of persons cautioned, or, prosecuted at magistrates courts for pedal cycle lighting offences( 1) , in England and Wales, 1997 to 2004( 2, 3) 
			   Cautions  Prosecutions( 4) 
			 1997 406 412 
			 1998 398 624 
			 1999 330 459 
			 2000 143 274 
			 2001 61 179 
			 2002 39 180 
			 2003 25 213 
			 2004 77 175 
			 (1) Includes the following statute and offence description:Road Traffic Act 1988 Sec 81(2). Road Vehicle Lighting Regs1989.Pedal cycle lighting and reflector offences (RVL Regs 1984). Offences in respect of pedal cycles.(2) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.(4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. Source:RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Sexual Assaults

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serious sexual assaults reported to the police have resulted in an arrest and successful prosecution in the last year for which records are available.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested on arrests for serious sexual assaults is not available centrally. Information on arrests is based on persons arrested for recorded crime "notifiable" offences by main offence group (i.e. sexual offences, theft and handling stolen goods, violence against the person and burglary etc.) and therefore does not identify individual offences or offence classes.
	Information from the Court Proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants convicted of serious sexual assaults is shown in the following table. Figures for 2005 will be available in November 2006.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty of various serious sexual offences at all courts, in England and Wales 2004( 1, 2) 
			  Offence class  Defendants found guilty 
			 17 Sexual assault on a male 356 
			 19 Rape 751 
			 20 Sexual assault on a female 2,252 
			 21 Sexual offences (including with child under 13) 92 
			 22 Sexual offences (including with child under 16) 306 
			 Total 757 
			 (1 )These data are on the principal offence basis.(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative date systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.